ARMY DISTAFF FOUNDATION INC
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Mission Statement
Army Distaff Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization that provides comprehensive housing, health, and wellness services to elderly military veterans and their family members as a testament to their sacrifices. We provide these services regardless of one’s ability to pay.
About This Cause
The Army Distaff Foundation (ADF) is a 501 (c) (3) organization established in 1959 that provides housing, health, and wellness services to retired officers of the Uniformed Services and their families as a testament to their sacrifices—and always regardless of their ability to pay. To provide these services, our founders built a safe and caring residence in Northwest Washington, DC, which opened in 1962. Known as Knollwood Military Retirement Community, we care for nearly 300 people today, including veterans of World War II, Korea, and the Vietnam War. We offer a safe, caring environment in which those who served our nation can age with dignity in a community of people who experienced the same distinctive challenges of military life. Many of the men and women in our care spent a lifetime moving to different service assignments, making Knollwood their first permanent “home.” To fulfill a promise made 60 years ago that we would never turn residents away for financial reasons, we created a Financial Assistance Fund. The Fund, which is supported by foundations, corporations, and individuals, benefits about 15 to 20 District of Columbia residents each year at a cost of $750,000 to $1 million. We have a unique history. We began 60 years ago as a small residential facility for the widows and other female relatives of U.S. Army servicemen. We have greatly increased our capacity since those early years. Today, we are a recognized leader in serving veterans and caring for older adults. We have always been at the forefront of establishing community residential facilities and providing much-needed services. Four major milestones underscore our progressive history: 1. We built in Northwest Washington, DC the nation’s first residential facility for forgotten, aging family members of our nation’s veterans. With the strong support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the personal involvement of First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower, our founders raised funds to purchase land and construct a first-class residential facility. Their efforts produced $38 million (in today’s dollars) to purchase 16 acres in Northwest Washington, DC and build Army Distaff Hall, renamed Knollwood, after the historic home, Knoll House, which is still located on the property. 2. We established a permanent, donor-supported Financial Assistance Fund to sustain impoverished residents without the means to pay. From the day the facility opened, a number of residents lacked the financial means to support themselves through the end of their lives. Our founders recognized this need and knew they would have to create an assistance fund for these residents. They also anticipated the necessity of a permanent fund to continue providing support in the future. Accordingly, they established a formal Financial Assistance Fund shortly after the facility opened in 1962. True to our founders’ expectation, the need for assistance has indeed grown over time as an ever-increasing number of people have outlived their retirement savings. In addition, over the years, we have expanded resident services and activities. For almost 60 years, our Financial Assistance Fund has provided partial to full financial assistance for approximately 10% of our residents. No resident has ever been denied support nor has an application to enter ever been denied for financial reasons. All residents receive the same quality care and services, and to protect every resident’s dignity, all financial support remains confidential. 3. We expanded services to the entire military family and all uniformed service members. In 1989, we revised our admissions criteria to extend residency to family members—and the veterans themselves—of all U.S. Uniformed Services, which include the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Public Health Commissioned Corps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps. When demand for residency increased beyond capacity, we expanded our facility by building additional apartments and enlarging common areas. Today, nearly 300 men and women live at Knollwood. 4. We implemented cutting-edge services within a full continuum of health and wellness care. With advances in medicine and older adult care over the past 60 years, we have prided ourselves on being at the forefront of change and moving swiftly to incorporate new technologies, best practices, and more expansive care models. The original view of our founders to provide a stable, secure, and safe community where residents could remain until the end of their days is still at the organization’s core. But, how one thinks about the older adult community and how we define comprehensive services have evolved to a new environment. Those of us who are professional caregivers to older adults recognize a much more comprehensive set of health and wellness requirements that should be made available. To be at the forefront of services, we have always expanded and modified our facilities, incorporated new programs and services, and, just as important, added the highest quality professional staff. Today, our Knollwood facility is fully prepared to accommodate every stage of aging. Over the years, we have added assisted living, advanced nursing, rehabilitation, long-term care, and memory care services, coupled with whole person wellness services, to ensure all residents have access to the best care available. Operating as a full Life Plan community, we offer a complete continuum of care so that residents can age in place under one roof—and always regardless of their financial status. LIFE-NOURISHING PROGRAMS FOR THOSE WHO SERVED. We provide community, companionship, and care for older adults who served our nation for a lifetime. Because of concerned donors, residents without the means to pay receive financial support—they will always have a home in the Knollwood community. We strive to help our residents live long, healthy, and happy lives, and to remain independent as long as possible. A COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY. Through Knollwood, we offer resident-specific living arrangements for nearly 300 residents across four levels, while balancing questions of resident safety, security, and overall health and wellness to ensure optimal care. Independent Living. Independent Living apartments range from efficiencies to two bedrooms with dens. Residents enjoy comfort and camaraderie with members of the military community without the responsibilities of home ownership. Residents in independent living are mobile, with limited physical restrictions. They enjoy freedom from the chores of cooking, cleaning, home maintenance, and yard work. Residents at this stage of life enjoy tailored activities and services that foster community and support a healthy aging process. Assisted Living. Residents in our Assisted Living community enjoy private apartments while Licensed Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants provide assistance with meals, medication, dressing, grooming, and bathing. Care services are tailored to meet individual needs. Caregivers encourage residents to remain independent as long as possible, stepping in at just the right moment. Skill-appropriate activities and services ensure residents remain motivated and engaged. Skilled Nursing Care. Our Health Services Center provides long-term nursing, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing care for residents in need. All beds are licensed and Medicare and Medicaid-certified. Our total-care community caters to residents in need of 24/7 care who do not require cognitive therapies. All activities and services are designed to support residents with their physical needs, which includes physical therapy to maintain mobility or regain movement in cases of recovery therapy. A Registered Nurse is on duty at all times, accompanied by a skilled nursing team. Memory Care (Alzheimer’s). Opened in June 2008, our Special Care Center provides dedicated memory care services to residents suffering from all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Residents live in a safe, adaptive environment that meets physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. A person-centered approach was designed to reach residents suffering from moderate to moderately-severe memory impairment (stages 4-6 as described by the Alzheimer’s Association). Therapeutic reaction and care encourage meaningful interactions and promote much-needed sensory stimulation through an array of therapies. All beds are Medicare and Medicaid-certified.