I would like to tell you about Anna. She is in her twenties and has been in our program for almost 2 years. Anna was driving home from work on Christmas Eve and hit an icy spot in the road. Her car went off the road and down an embankment. The accident occurred in 1998 and she was admitted into our program in 2003. Until that time she had lived at home with her parents.

Anna has made great gains since coming to live with us. She has gained independence in all areas of her daily living skills. Anna meets and budgets her money one time a week with staff. She fills her own medication cassette with staff checking. Anna uses a memory book and is completely independent in managing her life with it. Anna attends speech therapy 1 time weekly to work on her interpersonal relationships.

The staff has supported Anna in her growth and she has gained confidence in her own capabilities. One area that we praise her for is her ability to work with staff to problem solve. With support she has faced her deficits and is willing to look at issues in a different way. Denial is very common and Anna has had the courage to work through them. Deficits don’t go away but we can help people learn to deal with them in a positive way. Anna like other clients has accepted the deficits and made friends with them. At the same time she is able to accept help in dealing with cognitive issues.

Anna now has a job at Milwaukie Lutheran Church. She works in their preschool 3 days a week. She enjoys other activities as well like going to auctions or finding a bargain at goodwill. Anna also attended community college and took an art class. She has made friends at Kampfe and often walks with another client to have lunch or rent a video. She also frequently goes home on the weekends to visit her family.

Anna is always willing to help other people, especially clients who are physically impaired. We have shared in Anna’s growth and we applaud her gains and supporting her in meeting her goals.

Pam Griffith
Program Coordinator