ACR Homes – The Spirit of ACR Homes: Meet Our Residents #1
Ever wonder what life is like at ACR Homes and what great people you’ll meet? We recently caught up with Jen, one of our wonderful residents, to shed a little light. One important thing to know about Jen is that she’s pretty darn nice and she has quite a knack for connecting with others. “Jen…
Reality check: What personality traits are most important in a DCP?
If you’re thinking of becoming a direct care provider, you may worry that you don’t have the right personality to work effectively with people who have disabilities. Perhaps you’ve never really interacted with differently abled people, and as a result have no idea how you’d do working with them as an assistant, caretaker and companion. Chances…
The Great MN Get-Together– ACR’s Virtual State Fair Week
Once again COVID-19 tried to rain on our parade by cancelling the Minnesota State Fair, but a group of creative employees took matters into their own hands! We’re doing everything possible to keep our residents happy, entertained and connected even as we take precautions to prevent their physical exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minnesota…
ACR’s Response to Black Lives Matter
When new employees start at ACR Homes, we ask them to embrace ACR’s long-standing Core Value statement that all human life is intrinsically valuable—that it is worthy of dignity and respect. For decades, ACR employees have gone above and beyond in doing just that. We are saddened and horrified at the death of George Floyd and…
30 years of building ACR Homes: “Not a day goes by I’m not filled with gratitude”
In an age when the average American switches jobs 10 to 15 times over the course of a lifetime, Director of Development Deb Nygaard has been a dedicated ACR Homes employee for longer than 30 years. Once she was hand-picked by CEO Jim Nelson to leave her restaurant management job and join the organization, she…
Activities galore: ACR residents entertained on-site during COVID-19
During this social isolation interval, we miss seeing our loved ones, but rest assured, we are having as much fun as we can! We’re doing everything possible to keep our residents happy, entertained and connected even as we take precautions to prevent their physical exposure to the outside world. After all, mental health experts say…
Giving back: Volunteer service by ACR employees knows no bounds
Because we go to great lengths to identify and hire people who are compassionate and altruistic, we find that many of our employees volunteer for other organizations when they’re not working. Recognizing these efforts to give back, we also regularly promote community events, some of which are focused on volunteering and serving others. Our team…
Nervous about working as a direct care professional? You can do it!
If you’re a college student considering a direct care professional job with ACR Homes, but you’ve never worked with people with disabilities, you may feel a bit uncertain about what that may entail, and whether you can handle the responsibilities involved. Those feelings are understandable. Many who don’t have friends or family members with disabilities…
Family gains peace of mind from high quality care, stellar staff.
After Nick sustained a brain injury in an ATV accident 14 years ago, his family struggled to find him living conditions in Minnesota that could fully support his needs and wants. At age 20, the avid outdoorsman from Eagan still had an avid interest in having fun outside, experiencing new activities and spending time with…
ACR Homes and Arthur’s share common vision of support
ACR Homes is known for the high quality of care it gives to people with physical and developmental disabilities. What people often don’t know is that ACR Homes has a sister organization, Arthur’s Senior Care, that provides that same level of service to people with dementia, Alzheimer’s and physical disabilities. Both organizations are united in…
Studying pre-med? ACR Homes offers valuable paid experience
As a pre-med college student, you understand how important it is to accrue work hours and real-life experiences in medical settings. Finding those relevant experiences isn’t always easy. But those who have interned at ACR Homes often consider it the ideal solution because they’re able to gain ground in their careers by getting hands-on experience…
Alumni Spotlight- Transferable skills from DCP to Occupational Therapist
Name: Whitney Pfaff ACR Home: Fulham Undergrad: Kinesiology – University of Minnesota Schooling/Career: I worked at ACR Homes for 5 years throughout my undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Minnesota. I have been an occupational therapist at for the past 2 years. I work with the geriatric population at Minnesota Masonic Home. I recently took on…