Coping with change
How you helped Ben overcome his fear
Ben, a 66-year-old man with a developmental disability, lives with his 90-year-old mother. While the mother and son are inseparable, she realized that she hadn’t made any plans for her son should anything happen to her. She has been widowed for 25 years and Ben has no siblings. He is terrified of group homes and the thought of leaving his mother.
The transition will be less overwhelming
Through Mary Centre’s respite program, Ben was matched with a respite worker. As they began to build a relationship, he took Ben to one of Mary Centre’s group homes to make friends with the men and women living there.
When the day comes that Ben needs to move into a Mary Centre home, the transition will be less overwhelming. The relationships he has made with the staff and residents will help support him through that difficult time. Eventually, he can develop a sense of belonging and responsibility to that new community.
Photo: A resident of Mary Centre