My name is Ann, and I have always wanted to work with senior citizens. I graduated with a degree in Long Term Care Administration in 1992 and opened an Adult Day Care Center soon after with my parents. When we opened our services, we were focused on seniors but in the second year of operation, we had many caregivers of Intellectually and developmentally disabled adults approach us inquiring about services. Not long after we applied for and received our license that would allow us to provide services to both populations’.
I feel fortunate that families of disabled young adults found our program. I was not aware of the need for services in our community for the Intellectually and developmentally disabled but the impact this population and their families have made in my life and in our center has been an extraordinary experience. I have never met a caregiver that advocates so strongly for their loved one, but a parent of a special needs child certainly does. I saw first hand how difficult it was for them to trust the care of their child in someone else’s hands, and it was so rewarding once we earned that trust.
You may be in a caregiving role now or you may find yourself in a caregiving role in the future. I have seen how difficult it is as a caregiver to balance work, family, and other obligations. Many caregivers especially in the beginning do not know where to turn for support, services, or resources. Through this blog I hope to share my stories, experiences, and knowledge that I have gained through my work with individuals, their caregivers, local and state agencies, and professionals in the field.
I will focus on types of care available to seniors and young adults with disabilities, funding, supports coordination, transitioning out of high school for young adults with IDD and Autism, transportation, and fun things like activities, meals and traveling. I will also look to cover topics that impact all caregivers, as well as specific areas such as diseases that impact caregivers differently. The Coronavirus has really impacted our caregivers, clients, and our center, I will share some of those stories with you as well.
