We're Out
The tour of the new day hab facility was a great success. The program approach is completely different than where Lyn has been going and it shows.
A single schedule is created once a month for the entire client group. Clients can sign up for the communities they want to attend and pre-pay the activity fees. The staff will then manage the funds and pay for the attendees so that none are confused or stressed by having to sort funds at the venue. Those who do not go to the community activity have activity options in the day hab facility. They can work on a craft or reading in a quiet room. They can watch a G-rated movie in the entertainment room. They can have supervised exercise in the designated room.
They host classes to stimulate and engage the clients. One week, it may be a cooking class of simple items which don't require a stove or oven. One week may have an acting class. They have a daily exercise class which usually devolves into a vigorous round of the Chicken Dance because that's what the clients enjoy. Mom agrees with the staff that the Chicken Dance counts as exercise.
The staff have experience with Alzheimer's patients. In the first year of this blog, I mentioned a fellow Special Olympian who used to bowl with Lyn and had developed early on-set Alzheimer's in connection with Down Syndrome. This individual attends the day hab. How the person was greeted upon arrival in front of Mom made Mom tear up. There was genuine care and compassion. The staff explained that this client now alternates between singing "Happy Birthday" and crying and they were comfortable working at the client's level.
Mom signed a Freedom of Choice form with Lyn's new case manager. They are hoping to handle the transition over the course of this week so that Lyn can start next week.
Lyn is not going back to her original day hab after today. In front of Mom, employee B just got up and walked around Lyn when Lyn approached and said B's name. B wouldn't even look at her. While Lyn was upset by this, Mom told her to just ignore B because it was time to go. Mom used Lyn's excitement over the new day hab to distract her from the insulting response from B.
Lyn will never have to see B again.
A single schedule is created once a month for the entire client group. Clients can sign up for the communities they want to attend and pre-pay the activity fees. The staff will then manage the funds and pay for the attendees so that none are confused or stressed by having to sort funds at the venue. Those who do not go to the community activity have activity options in the day hab facility. They can work on a craft or reading in a quiet room. They can watch a G-rated movie in the entertainment room. They can have supervised exercise in the designated room.
They host classes to stimulate and engage the clients. One week, it may be a cooking class of simple items which don't require a stove or oven. One week may have an acting class. They have a daily exercise class which usually devolves into a vigorous round of the Chicken Dance because that's what the clients enjoy. Mom agrees with the staff that the Chicken Dance counts as exercise.
The staff have experience with Alzheimer's patients. In the first year of this blog, I mentioned a fellow Special Olympian who used to bowl with Lyn and had developed early on-set Alzheimer's in connection with Down Syndrome. This individual attends the day hab. How the person was greeted upon arrival in front of Mom made Mom tear up. There was genuine care and compassion. The staff explained that this client now alternates between singing "Happy Birthday" and crying and they were comfortable working at the client's level.
Mom signed a Freedom of Choice form with Lyn's new case manager. They are hoping to handle the transition over the course of this week so that Lyn can start next week.
Lyn is not going back to her original day hab after today. In front of Mom, employee B just got up and walked around Lyn when Lyn approached and said B's name. B wouldn't even look at her. While Lyn was upset by this, Mom told her to just ignore B because it was time to go. Mom used Lyn's excitement over the new day hab to distract her from the insulting response from B.
Lyn will never have to see B again.
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