John lived in his family home his entire life. He was fortunate to be raised by a loving mother who was very protective of him. When John was 56 years old, his mother passed away. While for many this would not create a problem, John’s depended on his mother to assist with most of his daily living tasks. John’s mother had always been protective since his diagnosis of epilepsy.

For a year after his mother’s death, John was trying to live independently. He soon found that he was struggling with taking care of some basic needs. Those needs included personal care, cleaning his home, and financial responsibilities. John tried to remember to take his medication and schedule medical appointments, but eventually began to forget his medications and his appointments. Eventually, his finances began to suffer, as well.

Four years ago, a year after his mother’s death, John was referred to the Community Partners Program. Staff soon learned that John was an intelligent man who learned best from modeling and consistency. Initially, Community Partners assisted John with some basic skills like hand washing, showering, cleaning, and preparing simple meals. Eventually, he was introduced to his community and began going to the laundromat and attending doctor’s appointments. John received support through organization and repetition. He learned to set his medication out in advance and was able to break tasks down into multiple steps in order to complete them independently. John soon began managing his own finances with guidance.

After John expressed a desire to be more involved in his community, Community Partners assisted him with getting connected to his local library. He currently attends weekly events and activities and borrows books on a regular basis. John also inquired about a volunteer position with a local church. John had been allowed to utilize the church’s van when going on errands and in an effort to give back he offered to assist senior neighbors with carrying their groceries.

After working together for two years, John shared with his Community Partner that he felt comfortable and confident with the skills that he learned. John’s Community Partner reduced the hours of support he required and eventually was able to eliminate the hours completely.

Currently, John continues to live in his home and has been successful in managing all aspects of his life independently. He and his Community Partner keep in touch occasionally and John knows his Community Partner is only a phone call away.