Team Strength
Neil, like so many other DOH (Department of Health) Service Coordinators at AIM Services, stands by the side of those people who are either facing life after a traumatic brain injury, or by those who are aging and wanting to remain on their own and maintain the lives they have built for themselves. Diane Hall, Program Director of DOH Services, speaks highly of the DOH Service Coordinators with whom she works. They are the individuals assisting people and their families as they work to gain access to services and supports specific to their needs and desires. Each DOH Service Coordinator views every person as the unique individual they are, while they consider how they want to be represented and the goals and ambitions they have for their lives.
An impressive team has assembled within the DOH Department at AIM.
Words cannot describe the amount of sincere care and admiration I have for this team. This group of people is beyond amazing and I cannot thank them enough for all of their hard work and the dedication that they put into their jobs every single day. Individually, we all have such different personalities, yet together we mesh and are together a strong team, Diane Hall shares.
Growing Awareness
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Nursing Home Transition Diversion (NHTD) Waiver Services offered by the DOH Department offer an array of programs designed to increase people’s independence. In either program, people are directly supported as they navigate life after a TBI, or as they work to remain in their homes while still receiving the services normally offered in a nursing home. Each program has services focused on an enhancement of social opportunities and community involvement.
An ongoing theme surrounding people of diverse abilities is awareness. We as a society are constantly learning about our diverse community members. Awareness is a particularly heightened theme in the DOH Department. Service Coordinators are always ready to share what they are doing with and for those they serve. Within the DOH Department, provided are services for people of all ages to stay living in their homes. These services help people to live life according to their own design. Kyle, a supervisor within the DOH Department, has seen many examples of the independence those he supports have been able to realize.
The DOH Team is also focused on debunking any misconceptions surrounding the people they support.
I often hear about law enforcement being called on someone with a traumatic brain injury because they were accused of using substances. In actuality, their normal behavior or manner of walking is misinterpreted as that of someone under the influence of substances. The more we know about our community members, the more we are able to stop and think before jumping to conclusions. I also want to continue to help families stop believing that the only care appropriate for a family member with dementia is a Nursing Facility. There are supports out there, they are just not yet well known. Educate yourself and ask questions! There are so many people out there ready and happy to assist, Diane Hall explains.
One of the incredible and growing services offered by AIM for either one of the Waiver Services is Environmental Modifications (E-Mods). It is yet another way to help people remain in their homes by making them accessible and safely navigable.
Diane notes that, although the process can be lengthy, it has shown to provide people on the DOH Waivers the ability to remain in a home that they may have owned for years, if not for a lifetime.
These modifications range from ramps that allow you to safely enter your home and the various rooms within it, to remodeling in order to provide a handicap accessible shower for someone in a wheelchair. Lisa, a DOH Coordinator at AIM, describes how a woman she supports was able to avoid nursing home placement (her worst fear) by assisting her in having a wheelchair accessible shower and a wheelchair ramp at the entrance of her home installed. This woman was able to maintain her preferred manner of living because of this important service.
Looking Ahead
The culture that is definitive of AIM Services is a great source of strength for the DOH team members as they propel into the future. The department is ever growing and would like to see the organization offer more services to support those enrolled in either Waiver Service. Independent Living Skills Training and Community Integration Counseling are two examples of highly necessary services, with limited availability in our area, that are envisioned.
One of our immediate goals, Diane Hall shares, would be to offer some community outreach. This will allow us more face to face time to expand the public’s knowledge of how AIM Services can help!
Click here to learn more about the DOH Waiver Services or to contact the department with questions.
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