Brandon’s Story
Brandon Levinson began receiving services at Community Alternatives Nebraska, an affiliate of ResCare Community Living, in June 2016. At that time, he had been struggling with his weight due to poor food choices and low activity.
Brandon loves sports. Through a community partnership, Brandon registered to participate in Special Olympics. Since then, Brandon has been actively involved in basketball, flag football, softball and track every year. On the field, he works well with his team, and they pull off top three placements in tournaments at the end of each season.
Working at home with staff and with the care and assistance of our agency nurse, healthier foods are often offered in replacement of sugary snacks. Brandon has been able to lose weight and maintain what he’s lost. He is always excited when he sees the numbers dropping on the scale and is proud to tell staff of his current weight.
Since COVID-19 and our time at home during quarantine, Brandon struggled with high behaviors, and these have continued. The sedentary lifestyle resulting from the pandemic caused Brandon anxiety, irritation, and anger.
In addition to sports, Brandon is passionate about gaming. If there’s a sports game, he has it or he wants it. He had mastered all the games he had and got bored of replaying. Our Business Office Manager, also a gamer, offered to help. They developed a friendship through their passion for gaming. She showed him how to download free games, helped him budget his money to be able to buy new ones and would game with him online. If Brandon was down or having a bad day, he knew that he could reach out to her to help him work through and cope with what he was dealing with in that moment. If he was having a great day, he would call to share this with her as well.
Through all the time spent on the phone with Brandon and through transitioning back to in-person services, our Business Office Manager has now become a part of his support team. She assists him in budgeting his money, takes him to his sporting events and cheers him on, assists with medical appointments and, at times, has become the voice of reason when he doesn’t respond to anyone else. Through hard times, lots of teamwork and communication, Brandon’s behaviors have decreased, and he is learning new ways to cope with his feelings, behaviors, and outbursts. The dedication of our staff has helped Brandon see his own potential and live his best life.