Diane, Jackie, Judy, and Mary

Here’s the story of four lovely ladies who share life together at our Black Oaks home in Plymouth. They have lived together for decades. Diana, Mary, Jackie, and Judy have experienced many of life’s ups and downs, challenges and successes, together. Let’s meet them:

Mary is the social butterfly. She came to Hammer Residences 47 years ago! Mary is very outgoing, talkative, and has lots of long-standing relationships with others at Hammer & NER. She loves getting out and connecting with people.

Judy is known as Mary’s “polar opposite.” They’ve been roommates in the past. Judy prefers to keep to herself. One of her favorite past times is coloring. She also loves her work program.

Staff will tell you Diana is a bit of a mischief maker. She has a great sense of humor and enjoys laughing and joking with staff. When she was a teenager and living at Hammer, she actually stole a car! She didn’t go very far, and no harm was done (although staff nearly had heart attacks!).

Then there’s Jackie, the gal with a wicked sense of humor. When she gets that familiar twinkle in her eye, you know she’s planning something. However, as her dementia progresses, she just appreciates things being predictable.

As you might imagine, as they have aged, the ladies’ lives have changed in significant ways: They’re slowing down and need more assistance with the activities of daily living and moving around their home. Everything takes a little longer. As their lives and needs change, so too must their staff. Ongoing advanced training is needed to help staff care for the more complex needs of Mary, Judy, Diana, and Jackie. The responsibility is a serious one.

“Thirty years ago, we used to think of our staff more like camp counselors, planning fun events, and now they’re more like CNAs,” says John Estrem, Hammer & NER’s CEO. “This house is a great example of that. The work that we do is about people supporting people.”

Brad with Jackie

Brad Fenske is one of the home’s staff and began working at Hammer Residences 40 years ago. “I’ve known some of the people we support since they were teenagers!” he says. They used to be independent. “Jackie loved to go to Branson, and now she just can’t do it. We’re looking at the end-of-life stage for her, and how do we make her comfortable in what may be her last year or two.”

Today we have a training department that is very intentional about providing staff with the training they need. When caring for those with dementia, ostomy bags, diabetes, and other conditions, it’s not intuitive. Staff need to know how to care for them and how to make their lives better. Hammer & NER provides access to online, in-person, and hands-on training.

“You’re working with them as a caretaker of their well-being, but you’re also experiencing one another’s lives,” says Brad. “We’re not their family, but in many ways, we take the place of their family when they aren’t able to be with them.”

That’s what Caring for the Heart is all about.

We are saddened to share that Jackie passed away the evening of Monday, August 12.

The post Meet the Ladies of Black Oaks appeared first on Hammer.

Many people who live in our apartment programs and are used to living more independently are now “dancing a bit slower” as they age. When their health needs become more complex, the reality is that they will need to move to a group home where they can receive a higher level of care including assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, and mobility from trained professionals who can care for their medical needs, too.

Andy and Katie

Our friend, Andy, is one of those individuals. Andy and his best friend, Chris, moved into our Broadmoor apartment program in 2008. That’s where Andy met his girlfriend, Katie. When (then) Hammer opened its Lake Place apartment program in 2010, they and a few others moved there. Andy made more new friends. He had a job he enjoyed at Panera. He loved participating in Special Olympics and watching wrestling matches with Chris. Andy was living life to its fullest.

However, as for many of us, life dramatically changed for Andy during COVID-19. Fred and Marcia are his parents and have always been involved in his life at Hammer & NER. “Suddenly, there was nothing for Andy to do,” says Marcia. Andy could no longer go to his job or a day program and was mostly confined to his apartment. “We know that people with Down syndrome don’t always take to change quickly. We went over almost every day and would walk with him and spend time with him.” Over time, Andy’s family and the staff at Lake Place began noticing cognitive changes in him. He was becoming more forgetful. He had always had heart issues, but they were well managed. However, now there were some new concerns. Andy also developed neurological issues and underwent extensive testing. “We were told it was likely Alzheimer’s,” says Marcia. “He was going to need a lot more support.” Andy began spending more time at home with Fred and Marcia.

Andy loves watching professional wrestling

“The care he receives at Broadway is phenomenal,” Marcia says. “The sad thing is that the whole disability providers community is under so much pressure. So many needs are not being met; there aren’t enough places, not enough staff. We feel blessed that everything worked out for Andy. My heart aches because I know that doesn’t happen for everyone. All these kids are aging, and their parents are wondering, now what? We’re thankful we didn’t have to switch away from Hammer & NER. Our son has had an absolutely wonderful life.”

Today, Andy is in a wheelchair and is heavily dependent on his caregivers at Broadway.

We are working to do all we can to meet the needs of Andy and all the people we support as they age. We are modifying and remodeling more of our homes to accommodate changing needs. We are providing advanced training to our direct support staff to not only help them care for more complex medical needs, but to better understand the cognitive and emotional issues for people with intellectual disabilities as they age.

We remain committed to continuing to help all those we support live life to its fullest.

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