Heart of Ida

To help older adults preserve their independence as long as possible, and bring comfort and cheer when assisted living is necessary.

Heart of Ida was founded in 2008 by sisters Dina Berg and Keri Reich in honor of their beloved grandmother Ida. Among other things, Ida worked on behalf of older adults. In their homes or in nursing facilities, the sisters proudly accompanied their grandmother while she worked. Those positive experiences led Dina and Keri to form an organization that serves the needs of older adults.

Heart of Ida’s mission begins with fall prevention. Fall prevention efforts began in 2009 with the minor home safety program, Handy Hearts, and has evolved to include in home safety assessments and evidence based education and classes. The Center for Disease Control’s STEADI Toolkit, a strategy to achieve a minimum standard of older adult safety in the community, was adopted by Heart of Ida in early 2013. In less than one year’s time, Heart of Ida has developed to the capacity to offer and facilitate the entire STEADI Toolkit. This, coupled with its established history of in-home safety, offers older adult specialists a one-stop resource for fall prevention.