A New Chapter for Barbara Doerler
Barbara settles into the Helen Kaplan Center
Barbara Doerler recently moved into the Helen Kaplan Center (The Center) to receive the clinical and supportive care she needs to thrive after a lifetime of living with family.
“It’s nice,” Barbara said of her new home.
For Barbara and her family, the move was part of a process. When considering the Center, Kimberly Bruno, a Qualified Intellectual Disability Provider (QIDP) explained, a new person will typically visit for lunch, allowing them to become familiar with their potential new home while loved ones can observe whether it’s a good fit for them. Afterwards, a team of clinicians will also meet to assess whether The Center aligns with the person’s needs.
In the first few weeks of her move over the winter, Barbara’s family visited every day.
“She always lived with family, so I think she’s still adjusting,” said Barbara’s brother, Rich Doerler. “It’s only been two months. She still gets teary-eyed when we leave. We try to be there as much as possible right now to help her transition further.”
Staff are dedicated to making Barbara’s new home a happy one. When her family leaves, they gently redirect Barbara’s attention to activities that she enjoys, a process led by Kimberly and her team.
“We train staff on people’s likes, their needs, what they like to eat, what they like to watch on T.V., if they like to listen to music, so everyone has a strong understanding of what to expect,” Kimberly said.
From the start, staff worked to establish a consistent schedule for Barbara that reflected the activities she enjoys most such as playing cards, working on sewing projects, coloring, spending time outside and socializing.
As “a people person” who enjoys greeting everyone when entering a room, Barbara will also attend Day Services in another house on campus. Currently, as a goal, Barbara is working to increase her independence by developing self-care skills with support from staff.