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.
