Cedar Lake Lodge and Residences

Robbie E.

Robbie E. came to Cedar Lake Lodge in 1987 at the age of 23, having grown up at home with his parents, two brother and two sisters.

While he loved having a big family and very much enjoyed living at home, Robbie was also excited to be out on his own. Robbie's parents eventually moved out of state but came to visit often, and his siblings kept him very involved in family activities. Robbie's brothers, in particular, paid no attention to his disabilities and involved him in boating, swimming, horseback riding and much more. Over the years, Robbie also talked his family into letting him get an earring and a U of L Cardinal tattoo, which he wears proudly and will show to anyone who asks.

In the late 1990s, Robbie began to let the CLL staff know that he was interested in moving out - maybe to the CLR group home, maybe to his own apartment; but the bottom line for Robbie was that he wanted his own "bachelor pad." Lack of Medicaid waiver funding was a major obstacle at the time, and Robbie and the staff kept hoping that one day he would get his chance. That day came in mid-2006 when a change in the Medicaid waiver rules made it possible for ICF/MR residents to get access to the waiver if they had the ability and desire to live in the community.

CLL staff asked Robbie if he was still interested in getting his own place, and the answer was an ecstatic "Yes!"

The rest, as they say, is history. Robbie moved into one of the CLR Keeling properties on June 18 and has spent most of the summer getting adjusted to his new home and two new roommates. Everyone at CLL misses Robbie and his mischievous charm, but we are also so very proud of him!

Jill

Jill came to live at CLL in December of 2006, after spending the previous 24 years at home with her family. She had been on the waiting list for almost 5 years and it was truly a relief for her parents to receive the telephone call informing them of the vacancy, as they had begun to wonder who would care for her as they grew older. Jill's family had had its share of crises, and according to her mother, "She really needed stability and we knew Cedar Lake could provide that." While they were saddened to see their daughter leave the nest, Jill's parents were also excited for her, knowing the opportunities that she would have to learn and grow as an adult.

Our staff have gotten to know Jill and have realized that there is much more going on inside of her than she might lead you to believe. Although she is a person of few words, she is able to make herself very clear in communicating what her wants and needs are. Jill also has a mischievous streak that shows itself occasionally, and our staff really enjoy those moments.

One of the unique opportunities that Jill may experience would be moving into one of the new community ICFs/MR that Cedar Lake will be developing. The staff at CLL feel that Jill could be ready for this move by the time the homes are developed, and we are working with her to help her achieve this goal. Janice Cox, Director of Dietary Services and Jill's QMRP (case manager), said, "I think this move would be excellent for Jill. I believe that she would benefit from living in a smaller environment where the staff can work with her to help her realize her full independence and potential."

Jeremy

As many of Cedar Lake's faithful supporters are aware, the Kentucky Medicaid Waiver program permitted many of our residents to move out during the past 18 months. These moves also gave opportunities to individuals on our waiting list, and as we began admitting new residents, we found that many of them present challenging developmental and/or medical needs that we typically have not experienced on a large scale. Jeremy is one of these individuals.

Because of the complex nature of Jeremy's needs, working with him has provided us with opportunities to explore alternative methods of serving our residents. We have found that some of our time-tested and conventional techniques may not be effective for individuals like Jeremy, and we have worked with Jeremy's family to develop approaches that are more suitable for his ideal living environment. Our staff have quickly developed strong bonds with Jeremy and we have enjoyed finding ways to make his life as enriching as possible.

Jeremy's family is very involved in his life. This was a critical piece of making the decision for him to move to CLL, and his parents have very much enjoyed being able to help him make the transition. For them, it's very important that he have his own friends, his own schedule, and for him to experience being an adult with his own life. According to Jeremy's mother, Patti, "My husband and I asked Jeremy if he wanted to move to Cedar Lake Lodge and we explained that it would be like going to college. He quickly said 'Yes!' He really loves all of the socialization and the attention he gets from everyone."

We recognize that the future of CLL is in serving individuals like Jeremy who truly need the intensive level of service that we provide. We are extremely happy to have Jeremy at CLL, and we appreciate all that he and his family have taught us.