Rose is a city girl at heart.
“I don’t think I would have made it living here in Jefferson County without DRA!” said Rose. “It took me over a year to find DRA and a way to get to the grocery store that didn’t cost $40 like a cab.”
Today, Rose uses DRA’s transportation services, but that’s not all. In fact, DRA either provides services or has connected her to many other resources she needs.
“Way back in 1998, DRA told me about a program so I could buy my own home. We have been here for over 17 years, and my house is about half paid off,” said Rose.
Rose is not only a home owner. She has also taken Equine Therapy and even rode a Clydesdale horse. She shot a rifle. She completed 22 hours of college. She regularly reads Rolling Stone and The Wall Street Journal. She is a “sponge for knowledge.”
“I wish I could travel more. I’d love to go to Italy where my family is from. Or Australia. You could just leave me there with all the animals. But for now, I read,” explained Rose. “It’s like the travel I may never get to do.”
What may surprise you is that Rose is also legally blind. She had early onset of glaucoma when she was just three years old. By the time she was a teenager, her vision was very limited. Now, she can barely see from one eye.
But that doesn’t stop her from learning and trying new things. Her latest quest is to learn to play the guitar. She stays as active as she can. She attends DRA’s monthly Young Adult Social Group. She really likes this group. “Other places, we go and see our friends, but we don’t get to play the games,” says Rose. “At DRA, people help us, and you plan things we can do. We love it!” And Rose loves to participate. She even won the scavenger hunt at the Picnic at the Park last Spring. DRA staff were her “eyes,” but her ability to think outside the box and her vast knowledge helped her check off every category on the list.
Rose also helps care for her aging Aunt Mamie, her mother’s sister, who lives with her. A DRA nurse, Donita Province, comes weekly to set up Mamie’s medication in a pill box with an alarm that goes off every time she needs to take her meds. “I would never remember without that box!” Mamie admits.
An aide from DRA, Pam Mason also comes regularly to make sure that she safely bathes. Pam also helps keep the house clean and makes sure they have food and supplies.
“I don’t know what I would do without Pam’s help,” said Mamie. “She’s been with us for about seven years. She knows everything I need. If she ever leaves us, I don’t know what I’ll do!”
Years ago DRA built a ramp into the home so that the ladies can safely enter and exit the home. DRA has also provided a shower chair and installed grab bars in the bathroom. “I’m nervous to fall when it’s wet,” explains Mamie. “I feel much safer!”
“The best part about DRA is that you help people when their family can’t,” said Mamie. “And you are just like our family now!”