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.