Samantha and Pam’s Story
Samantha moved from a four-person CILA to a host home in mid-July this year. One of the things Samantha enjoys most about living in a host home is the ability to assist with cooking tasks more frequently
This past summer, Samantha had the opportunity to learn how to can vegetables. She is also learning how to do laundry independently. Samantha states she “is good at folding blankets and towels.”
Samantha laughs and says she and her host home provider Pam “are like two peas in a pod.” Samantha and Pam enjoy doing arts and crafts projects together, going out to eat at Ponderosa and Texas Roadhouse, getting banana splits at Dairy Queen, and going to church every Saturday.
Samantha is proud that she is able to do many activities of daily living more independently in the host home environment. Since moving to her new home, Samantha has had the opportunity to experience many things for the first time, such as going to the county fair, attending a baby shower, baking a cake to take to a church dinner, having a pet dog named Oscar, and having a pet cat named Fluffy.
Samantha really enjoyed attending a musical program at church where they used instruments from biblical times. Samantha and Pam have plans to go Black Friday shopping and to see Christmas lights in Indianapolis during the upcoming holiday season.
When asked how Samantha has acclimated to her new home, Pam states, “Sam is more independent. She prepares her own breakfast, including coffee, makes and packs her own lunch to take to day program. Sam is very watchful of her cat. She always makes sure the cat is taken care of and has food and water. When Sam first moved in, I helped her with her laundry, but now she does her own laundry. Now Sam matches her clothes together and lays them out the night before work.”
When asked how Samantha moving in with her has changed her life, Pam replied, “I used to sit around and do nothing. Now I am on the go all the time. We do everything together. We watch TV together. We go to church together. We go out to eat two or three times a week.” Pam adds, “Samantha is very caring and always tells me to be careful. Community Alternatives of Illinois could not have found a better person for me to share my home with.”
It is very evident that Samantha has absolutely blossomed in her new host home and has added joy to Pam’s life as well.
