Dominick and the Guys of Oak Manor

He was on his way home from Candletop. Been two weeks gone and he thought he'd stop.

If you enter the Oak Manor residence, you may hear the melody of the popular Southern ballad, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”, coming through the halls. “Billy loves playing his vinyl records, and that’s one of his favorite songs,” Dominick told me over the phone.

Dominick McAfee is a Direct Support Professional (DSP) on our residential team here at Hi-Hope. We talked about the last few months and how life has been for him working at one of our group homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the world has slowed and picked up again, it has been “business as usual” for Dominick, other DSPs and essential workers everywhere since the beginning. He has had his concerns much like anyone else would if put in the same position, but overall he has remained hopeful and positive. He noted the new protocols for staff have helped to ease his mind. “We’re all required to wear masks, have our temperatures taken daily and fill out an employee disclosure form,” he stated.

Dominick didn’t spend much time talking about the new guidelines and changes to protocol though. Instead, we talked about the guys at Oak - Billy, Jeff, Jonathan and Kevin. At times, it has been hard because they’re all missing their normal routines, especially eating out which is a fan favorite among the group. But, they are all finding solace in different activities while they follow shelter-in-place orders and wait to head back to Hi-Hope when we are able to reopen our doors. Music is known to be “medicine for the soul” and that rings true for Billy with his vinyl records and Jonathan with the radio. The different sounds fill the halls of the home on any given day. If the guys aren’t off doing their own thing in their rooms, you might find them enjoying art or puzzles together in the common area, gardening or just taking a long walk outside.

In August, Dominick will celebrate 9 years with the Hi-Hope family. We couldn’t be more grateful for his dedication, and the work he continues to do to support the individuals and families we serve.

Quarantine Can't Stop Parkside!

We’re all longing for a sense of some “normalcy” right now and that’s no different for the ladies at our Parkside residence. For this reason, the staff wanted to do something special and planned a prom for our individuals! The team hosted a nice dinner complete with a photo booth to help commemorate the occasion. Monica White and her team wanted to bring this idea to life to spread a little light while we follow shelter-in-place orders and wait for the day program to resume operations. “We decorated the home with formal decor and made the ladies shirts and tiaras,” she said. Monica is a Lead Direct Support Professional (DSP) in our Residential program.

Prom and the “personality shirts” you see pictured below are just a couple of ways Monica and the residential staff has worked hard to keep our individuals happy and safe during quarantine. Monica recalled how she felt when COVID-19 began affecting Hi-Hope. “I was scared,” she said over the phone. “I didn’t want to continue making contact with the individuals and risk exposing them to anything.” However, that fear quickly subsided. Monica knew how important it was for her to be present to provide the best support possible. She and the rest of her team work with a group of our individuals that are more dependent and require a higher level of care, so continuity and familiarity are key especially over the course of the last few months.

As a Residential program lead, Monica has been instrumental in aiding four of our day program DSPs in their transition to the residential homes during the pandemic. “It’s a completely different setup then what the day program team is used to,” Monica said. “It was mostly bringing them up to speed about various safety precautions around the home. Things that typically aren’t a part of their daily routines.” Regardless of any obstacles or the learning curve, they continue to work together to support each other and our individuals. Each DSP at our Parkside home – both temporary and permanent – have been amazing since the beginning. It hasn’t been easy, but then again the job of a DSP never really is. It’s what makes the role of a DSP so important in our community. It’s what makes them so special.

New Perspectives: A Day Service DSP Transitions to Residential in the Wake of the COVID-19 Outbreak

Change began the moment Hi-Hope temporarily closed our doors on March 13. While some things have been somewhat predictable, it seems almost impossible to fathom the complete impact of COVID-19, and how it will transform our organization and the IDD community for the foreseeable future. But with change, there is always opportunity, and we have a team filled with wonderful, hard-working people willing to embrace that change no matter the circumstances. They are the essential workers you don’t typically hear about, and they are our superheroes.

With the center doors closed, we had to suspend all day program activities which meant that our direct support professionals (DSP) could no longer report to work. The need shifted solely to our residential homes where our individuals still required full-time support. Vonetell Brown, a Lead DSP in our day program, didn’t hesitate to call our Residential Manager and make the transition to one of the homes. “I wanted to do whatever was necessary to give our individuals the meaningful support they deserve,” Vonetell said.

Vonetell has had to learn how to navigate the usual tasks for staff in our residential homes in addition to the new challenges of keeping herself and the individuals healthy and safe during the pandemic – training individuals to wear masks and practice proper hand hygiene has been a huge part of that process. With the center closing and our individuals following shelter-in-place orders, they spend the majority of their days inside the homes. The interruption in their daily routine has most certainly taken a toll. Since the individuals mostly associate home with downtime, she shared that one of the biggest obstacles for her has been creating separation during the day to ensure the individuals are still experiencing some level of meaningful activity. “It can be difficult at times to get them engaged in activities while we’re inside,” said Vonetell. “They want to go out into the community and see their friends just like everyone else.” But, Vonetell and the rest of the residential staff has worked together brilliantly to create a variety of projects to keep the days exciting and fresh for everyone.

Despite the circumstances, Vonetell is very pleased with how much she’s been able to learn about the individuals while she’s worked in the residential setting. She shared different stories about her observations and the connections she has made with the individuals. It could be something as small as how Scotty likes his grits or how Wally takes pride in making his bed every morning without anyone’s assistance. “It’s been a joy to see how confident and independent they really are,” said Vonetell.

Vonetell has been working full-time with the residential staff since we closed the doors of the center a little over two months ago, and she has been a member of the Hi-Hope family for almost 12 years.

We are thankful for our DSPs, and how they have all responded during this challenging time for us all. They continue to keep our individuals healthy, safe and in good spirits. It’s a true testament to the people they are, and the essential role each and every one of them play for our individuals and families.

Meet Our Newest Alumni!

In January, we decided to introduce a 6-week cooking course open for all of our individuals to join. The course was implemented to complement our existing Hi-Hope Cooking Club and is led by our long-time volunteer, Doreen Hyde. Over the 6 weeks, Doreen’s curriculum gives our individuals a more in depth look into cooking safety, ingredient preparation and introduces participants to a variety of foods all while learning the importance of nutrition, healthy eating and making good decisions in the kitchen!

We recently celebrated our second graduating class and presented them with certificates and their very own personalized Hi-Hope aprons.

It was such a joy watching the graduates share their accomplishment with family and staff, discussing their favorite meal to make and making plans to attend future cooking club meetings in the future.

Hi-Hope’s philosophy is “person-centered”. We wholeheartedly strive to ensure that each individual is engaged in activities that are important to and important for them, and we can’t wait to introduce the next group of cooking connoisseurs!  Congrats Grads!

Our 2nd Hi-Hope Cooking Course graduates! (From L to R: Kimberly M., Deborah J., Patsy R., Betty P., Sue C.)