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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-02-28, Page 6On the job Gerald gets assistance from Community Living support worker Connie Dawson as he does a thorough clean-up at a local construction firm. Collecting the mail Elaine has the responsibility of getting mail for two local businesses each Friday. Connie Dawson of Community Living makes the rounds with her. PAGE 6, THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2001 A walk in their shoes Support worker says yes to independent living Editor's note: This is the sev- enth in a series of stories about area people and the jobs they do. As an attempt to provide some insight on what it's really like in certain professions, not just our perceptions, we invite you to join us as we take "A Walk in Their Shoes". By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff Gerald loves Friday. It's a day of activity, of socializing, of being val- ued for who he is and what he does. His barely contained euphoria is contagious as he bundles up against the winter chill, and gets ready to do clean up at a local construction busi- ness. Connie Dawson, a community support worker with Community Living in Wingham, spends her days assisting people. like Gerald as they find independence in a world that is for them more challenging than for most of society. Community Living, in existence here for over 40 years gives service and support to adults with develop- mental disabilities. There are 60 staff working here, 54 of them front-line. This day is a Friday. It is 8:30 a.m. and Dawson has made her first visit of the day, at an apartment complex in town. She is stopping by to see David, one of many people with a developmental -disability who is liv- ing on their own. Needing to provide only minimal support to him, Dawson administers David's med- ications and inquires about his breakfast and plans for the day. She mentions his upcoming trip, prompting a smile. David has been saving his money and in a few days time would be leaving for Santo Domingo. Within minutes, Dawson is back in her car and heading to one of the area's several group homes. There are five residents currently residing here. At the door. she pauses to knock. "We try to respect their priva- cy and dignity. I wouldn't just walk into your home and I'm not going to walk into theirs." The door is answered by Elaine — and a small dog the residents are 'sit- ting' for a family member. "It has been . great therapy for them," Dawson says of the pup, which is clearly enjoying all the attention. Inside, Dawson's arrival has prompted a whirl of activity. She is greeted by Andy, the night shift Worker who sleeps at the home. "He comes in at 10 p.m., spends the night and is there in the morning to get them up, help, do the meds and get the morning routines started." . There are three night staffers to ensure 24-hour support for certain residents. "We are now having an aging group because of medical wonders. Having someone stay there at night is just a safety net," says Dawson. In other homes, the night shift is required to stay awake because of the particular needs of the people liv- ing there. "There is a full range of people we care for," she says. Dawson checks the report to see if there are any changes in the schedule for the day, "If there are appoint- ments of some kind, I fit them in to the rest of rr y day," she says. As she gathers laundry and helps take out food to be prepared for sup- per, Dawson chatters with the group, who are all dashing here and there, each on his or her own mission. Bill scurries around finding his coat, hat and mitts, in anticipation of his trip to literacy. His volunteer driver, Dawson's son Paul, has arrived to pick him up. There is a lit- tle wait so Paul patiently takes a seat and chats with Bill's roommates, relaxed and comfortable. A Grade 11 student, Paul has volunteered for two years. "We rely a lot on our volunteers," says Dawson, saying there are about 30 who help out anywhere from one to eight hours a week. Dawson inquires about lunches and asks Gerald if he has a minute to do a quick wipe of the table. She then helps Elaine, Shirley and Gerald find their outerwear, while calling for Jim to hurry. He is being picked up by Wheels Away to go to his job on a farm where he cares for horses, because Dawson says, his "passion is to be a cowboy." "He empties the stalls, refills them with sawdust, then gets to work with the horses, which he just loves," says Dawson. The participants of Community Living, have found employment in various areas, from setting up tables and chairs for the monthly court ses- sions in town hall, to cleaning win- dows of downtown stores. Once the duty of Community Living to find these jobs, the provincial Partners In Employment now helps anyone from the centre interested in getting a position. Just before 9 a.m., everyone is ready. Dawson assists Elaine, who has mobility problems and Shirley, who is legally blind, out to her truck. Because she is driving around town on this day, she uses her own vehi- cle. Gerald gets into the front, and after seeing that everyone is buckled properly, Dawson climbs into the driver's seat and heads out to the Jack Reavie Centre. The building is open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., five days a week. There the participants have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of activities. The two women get out of the vehicle and make their own way into the building. Shirley has plans for lunch and Elaine will be picked up later to do her 'mail run'. It is 9:08 now and seems like a good deal has been accomplished in such a brief time. Dawson sets off for Gerald's workplace, a local con- struction firm. She says both Gerald and Elaine were at Bluewater Centre when she worked there. "I kind of followed them here." At Bluewater, however, a friend- ship was struck between Gerald and her husband Arnold, who works for the construction company. "We won- dered after I came here, how we could continue this," says Dawson. "Arnold suggested I bring Gerald to work for lunch some day. Well, Gerald is a neat freak and he started cleaning up the lunch room. The guys started thinking this was a pret- ty good deal, so he's been here on Fridays for five years." He gets coffee and a visit with the men, who treat him, Dawson says, "justlike a regular person, which is what they want because they are reg- ular people." The socializing is only part of the reason that what should be a 15 minute stop is actually about an hour. "When it comes to cleaning up, Gerald has to do it perfectly," says Dawson. Often having difficulty being understood, Gerald uses a pic- ture book to assist him in conversa- tion. Arriving at the business, Gerald's first stop is the office, where he is greeted by staff and grabs a candy from a dish on the counter before getting on the job. Dawson essential- ly offers guidance and supervision. After a quick coffee Gerald's eager- ness to get back on the job is barely in check until the men finish their break. Once finished to his satisfaction, Dawson gets a mail bag for Elaine's use, then she and Gerald head to the . car for the trip back to the Centre. It's now 10:30, a.m. and Gerald will stay there, while Elaine gets back into her winter clothes to head out for work. She and Dawson pick up a second mailbag at a local busi- ness, then walk up to the post office. This particular responsibility has been especially beneficial to Elaine, Dawson says. "Because she has an unsteady gait, she needs to exercise to improve her strength. The walking is good for her." At the post office, Elaine first drops off some mail for the one busi- ness, then picks up the mail for both. Dawson points out another mailbox that has red markings on it. "We have someone else that does this on their own and these help him find the right box," she explains. "There are all kinds of little ideas we use to make tasks easier." Structure also simplifies things. However, life will always throw curves and learning to adapt is an equally important life skill for the challenged. Community Living has four teams headed by a co-ordinator. Dawson's takes in Wingham, Blyth, Brussels and Walton. "When I make a trip over to Brussels and find that for some reason things can't proceed as planned, we have to figure out what to do for that time frame. But that's life. It s about adapting to change and they need to see that too." With mail collected, Elaine and Dawson deliver it at the respective places, then it's back to the truck, Elaine eager for her stop at Tim Horton's. Just before lunch, Dawson goes back to the Centre to help. Following the meal, she is off to the movies with Robert. "He is a movie buff," she says, adding that he cleans the theatre in exchange for unlimited free admittance. Afterwards she meets up with Bill to help him in his work as a crossing guard, before heading back to the group home. "Each person takes a turn choosing what supper will be and when it's their turn they have to prepare it." Dawson-helps with this before her shift ends at 4:30 p.m. Dawson explains that outside the regular workday hours, the residents are involved in many other activities. There is an advocacy group People First, which carries the slogan "Label jars, not people. Staff is not allowed. They plan their own social events. It's like their own Kinsmen group," says Dawson. There are rec nights and cooking co-ops. The latter requires that the people do a budget, plan a grocery list, buy then cook enough for two meals. There are men's groups which instruct in such things as grooming, while the artistic can enjoy craft ses- .sions. "We teach a lot of lifeskills so they can work and keep going just like everyone else," says Dawson. "The real intent is to keep it simple." It's a goal which Dawson, who knows what the institutional life was like, feels is the best for develop- mentally challenged. "Institutions were never a normal living situa- tion." Staff learn constantly as,ivell, or at least review. Dawson tells of the rekindling games they play. "These are fun things, where for example someone puts vaseline over glasses so they can see like personal who is visually impaired does. Then we set up situations. The girl in this case had to answer the phone,ond tripped. We do something different at each staff meeting to remind us what life with a disability would be like." Helping them through that life is something Dawson has wanted to do for as long as she can remember. Having seen a Down's Syndrome child tormented by a group of teens at a mall, Dawson was enraged. "I was 14 and I knew then that I want- erkto do something to help." And the work is never dull. "Each day is totally different."