I have lived in an assisted living facility for five years, and my friend Jennifer, also an Academy member, is coming up on ten years. It’s not like we couldn’t take care of ourselves – we were just too anxious to move out on our own. But living in a group home poses its own challenges.  I’ve had to share a bathroom with six other people, two of them males, and I only have a tiny windowless bedroom to myself, in which I spend a lot of time just trying to escape the noise and chaos in the house. It’s not an ideal environment. Jennifer has had similar challenges at her group home, where she is tasked to do other residents’ laundry, collect their garbage and wash and put away all the dishes every day. Jenn’s routine is to retire to her small room at 5:00pm each night to find some peace and quiet.

Our saving grace is coming to the Academy, sitting together at lunch and giving each other courage. It’s much easier to be brave when you’re doing it with a friend. For years, we’ve daydreamed of a time when we might live independently again. Recently, we told the Academy that we really wanted to move out on our own and asked if they could help us. To our good fortune, Patty Haltinner, the Academy’s enrollment coordinator, told us about a housing opportunity owned by a friend of the Academy. Patty helped us get in touch with the right people and even took us to see the apartment. It was amazing to think we were on our way to independent living. We all cried when we saw the apartment, right across from the condominium social center and pool. It seemed too good to be true that we would soon have a kitchen our own bedrooms and bathrooms. We quickly started planning …Jenn has dishes, and I have my mother’s silverware! Jenn requested the bedroom in the back of the apartment, as she is accustomed to going to bed early and was concerned about the possible noise around the pool, and I was happy to take the bedroom closest to the pool because, well, I have a bathing suit and plan to join the other tenants for pool time.

When I joined the Academy and heard the staff talk about the 8-Dimensions of Wellness, I didn’t really understand what was meant by environmental wellness, but now it makes total sense. Being independent in this way and being able to create my environment makes me feel like a different person. I think we will both be so much happier and healthier in our own place. We are so grateful for the Academy and our newfound wellness.

By Loriann Smith