When Wildwood Programs Site Manager Kristina Mowers visits her client Albert, they always take a moment to dance, usually to an Elvis song. She's come to know him pretty well in her 12 years working with him.
"The closer you are with somebody, the more you see changes and the more you can view how something is going to affect them or has affected them and make appropriate changes going forward," said Mowers.
Albert's needs have changed over the years. The 75-year-old was moved to a new group home a few years ago.
"Like all of us, age is going to bring change and when someone has developmental disabilities, those changes can be really, really impactful on a person's life," said Tom Schreck, director of communications at Wildwood Programs. "So we look at all sorts of things. We look at the social impact of where someone's going to live and we want people to stay in the homes because residences are truly homes where they're most comfortable. We don't want people to be isolated. We don't want people to have to go to nursing facilities. So we employ lots of extra resources just to make sure that somebody's safe, that somebody is stimulated, that somebody is comfortable."
In Albert's case, he has trouble seeing and a hard time with stairs, so he was moved to a place with a ramp and a first floor bedroom.
"When Albert eats, we use some adaptive equipment," said Mowers. "We use a silicone mat so that his dishes don't slip. Everything stays in one place for him because he can't necessarily see when things are moving. We've changed lighting in several areas of the house to make it easier for him and keep him safer. We've looked into what colors are best to have for him that are going to stand out better."