At AIM Services, we believe that listening and truly getting to know the people we work with is the key to providing compassionate, empowering care. Making simple changes to a person’s plan based on what we learn from listening and learning about him or her can have an impactful positive outcome.
AIM Program Director Derek Taylor recently shared a story about Zack, one of the people whose life changed for the better with one simple adjustment.
Zack had just graduated from high school and was moving from living at home with his mother to an AIM Residential Setting, a community residence that provides individualized care and supervision. The transition to his new home was a challenging one for Zack, who had become accustomed to having plenty of alone time, but was now sharing his space with 5 housemates and AIM staff members. As a result, Zack’s behavior began escalating.
By observing Zack and speaking with his mother to learn more about him, AIM staff discovered that his behavioral changes were likely related to him not being able to visit the YMCA. While living at home with his mother, Zack had grown accustomed to visiting the YMCA periodically – something he had not been able to do after his transition to his new home.
To ease Zack’s stress, AIM’s Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) decided to try bringing Zack to the YMCA regularly for 30 minutes, waiting in the parking lot so he could truly have the alone time he had come to enjoy. They immediately noticed a change for the better in Zack’s behavior.
Despite a significant staffing shortage that made it difficult to have staff members out of the house for even short periods of time, the DSPs were committed to providing Zack with the experience he needed. Working creatively and collaborating with DSPs from other AIM Residential Settings, they were able to make Zack’s trips to the YMCA possible and even extended Zack’s stays at the YMCA to 3 hour increments.
Zack’s life and behavior improved significantly just by incorporating trips to the YMCA into his plan. By simply listening and getting to know Zack, we were able to enhance his experience and quality of life.
Today, Zack lives in his own Supportive Apartment and continues to make regular trips to the YMCA with the support of his staff.
Interested in learning more about what sets AIM Services apart from other organizations that provide support and services to people with disabilities and traumatic brain injuries? Visit our About Us page to learn more about our mission, history and the high quality care we are committed to providing to the people we work with.