Barbara Meyers, who lives in YAI's Howard Beach supportive IRA, had big plans to visit a staff member who now works at YAI's Dawson Manor, about 15 minutes away. 

"I'm going on Saturday, between 12 and 2," she said with excitement, prior to visiting Jonathan Galindo, the Assistant BIS at Dawson Manor IRA, who worked with her as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at Howard Beach. "I’ll be very glad to see him."

For Barbara, 77, walking and getting around in general, can be difficult due to medical issues. So for her to suggest leaving her apartment came as quite a surprise to everyone, including Jonathan.

Initiating a Visit on Her Own

"It felt really good to visit with her outside of her home," Jonathan said, adding that Barbara told her how much she missed him and that the new staff members were doing a good job. "For her to actually initiate this and actually leave her apartment was really surprising."

"Barbara has long preferred to spend time in her own home than venture out in the community," said Cameo Todd, YAI Residential Coordinator. "She enjoys spending time in her apartment with her friends or in the building lobby with her neighbors. ​Barbara will begrudgingly go out when it is a necessity (i.e. doctors appointments and banking). Staff work hard to offer activities to Barbara that are tailored to her interests, but these efforts are met with resistance and flat out rejection. Barbara requesting to visit Jonathan is a testament to his ability to connect with the people he works with."

'Reflection of Independence'

From Jonathan's perspective, it's a reflection of independence. 

Howard Beach is a combination of supervised IRA apartment and supportive apartments. When the program opened in 2014, it provided an opportunity for individuals to live in a more independent setting. "We encouraged them to be more independent," Jonathan said. "We know how much they can do without staff support."

To Jonathan's surprise, Barbara knew many of the residents at Dawson Manor, who like her, had lived at Willowbrook.

An Unexpected Reunion

"She was very excited to see them and they seemed to still remember Barbara," Jonathan said. "Barbara was in a really good mood and during lunch we just talked about things that were changing in our lives and her health has been improving."

Jonathan developed a strong bond with Barbara, joining her on numerous medical appointments. "She knew I was there with her during difficult times," Jonathan said. During one appointment, the doctor noticed Barbara was in such a good mood. He didn't want to make her wait, so he brought her into the examining room. The doctor asked if Jonathan, who was new to the job, could come to all of her appointments because Barbara seemed much happier. "During the visit, Barbara said to me, ‘John you're like my brother; John, you're like my son,' " Jonathan, 22, says with a laugh.