Rescue Act Dollars Supporting Arizona’s Mental, Behavioral, and Cognitive Health Needs

TapRoot Selected as Grant Recipient in Supporting Front-line Caregivers

March 9, 2022

Summit Wellness Foundation, the non-profit foundation of Summit Healthcare Services, has secured a federally funded grant to support front-line caregivers of persons with cognitive impairment. The $350,000 grant was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and was directed by the Governor’s Office and members of the Arizona House of Representatives Democratic Caucus in a statewide effort to lift up non-profits engaged in helping Arizona respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summit Healthcare Services is dedicated to meeting the needs of seniors throughout communities in the state of Arizona. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the State’s mental, behavioral and cognitive health needs, contributing to an increasing caregiver turnover rate.

The Summit Wellness Foundation will address these needs by investing in technology upgrades and has selected technology-based TapRoot Interventions & Solutions (TapRoot) to assist in the project.

TapRoot, creators of digital assistant Ella℠ elevates the caregiver and is the first personalized care management platform for Alzheimer’s/Dementia and mental health. Unlike static patient records (EMR), Ella provides point of care interventions to advance caregiver efficacy. This results in enhanced caregiver engagement and improved resident retention through best practices.

“We’re delighted to have been selected by Summit Wellness Foundation as a primary partner in efforts to support this important project,” says co-founder Linda Buscemi, PhD. A recent article published by UCLA Anderson School in conjunction with Harvard, reported that front-line caregivers in the long-term space experience an alarming 98.8% median turnover rate and 127% average turnover. This article goes on to highlight the negative healthcare outcomes as a result of extreme turnover rates.

“Summit Healthcare Services does excellent work for seniors experiencing cognitive decline, however, that work was made much harder by the pandemic,” said Rep. Robert Meza, who championed the grant for Summit. “I am proud to have played any role in helping with this vital mission. The innovative partnership with TapRoot will benefit both patients and caregivers.”

Together, Summit Wellness Foundation of Summit Healthcare Services and TapRoot are working to improve the resident’s experience, support caregivers in their challenging profession, and reduce healthcare cost by limiting the use of pharmaceuticals and maintaining individuals in their existing care environments.

If you are in the long-term care space and want to learn more, please see www.taprootinterventions.com or contact 602.574.2177.

About Summit Wellness Foundation and Summit Healthcare Services

The Summit Wellness Foundation is a registered 501 (c) 3 and was established to help our patients and their families who are in need of housing, meals, equipment, medication and specialized services, or who may be in the process of hospice care. Through your generous corporate donations, fund-raising events and in-memoriam contributions, we’ve been able to donate thousands of dollars to providing those families with the financial care and services they need.

Summit Healthcare Service’s vision is to support the individual transitions of aging adults by combining a broad spectrum of transitional care management services into one holistic solution – enabling them to stay in their own homes and enjoy an enriched, independent lifestyle. Summit Healthcare Services include, Living Well, Private Home Care, Therapy, Home Health, Palliative and Hospice. “We Enrich Lives with Every Life We Touch”

About TapRoot Interventions & Solutions Inc

TapRoot, creators of digital assistant Ella℠, is the first personalized care management platform designed especially for caregivers of persons with cognitive deficits. Ella elevates the caregiver with evidenced-based behavioral approaches to mitigate behavioral expressions of person with Alzheimer’s/dementia and mental illness. Ella supports population health management principles and enables outcome measures for long-term care operators and payers.