Shining a Spotlight: Jake’s House Inclusive Housing Program
Welcome to our latest Spotlight Series blog post, where we delve into the heart of inclusivity and community within the Jake’s House Inclusive Housing Program. Situated in Lucan, Ontario, the Jakes House Community Residences stands as a beacon of support and empowerment for individuals with neurodiverse abilities, as well as senior citizens.
In this Q&A piece, we’ll hear directly from two sparkling residents who call Jake’s House Community Residence their home, as well as a passionate staff member dedicated to fostering a nurturing environment within the residence. Join us as we explore their experiences, insights, and the profound impact of inclusive housing and community building on their lives.
Residents: Andrew, 23yrs, Lucan and Catherine, 77yrs, Lucan
Andrew (smiling, third from left) is a big part of the social fabric at Jake’s House Community Residence.
“I love the living arrangements and staff; I get to come and go as I please!”
Get ready to meet Andrew and Catherine, two remarkable individuals who bring laughter, creativity and a unique perspective to life at Jake’s House Community Residence in Lucan. They are both active participants in a variety of activities and workshops at the residence, from art sessions to bingo and bowling, as well as eagerly engaging in social events.
Join us as we delve into their experiences, thoughts on living at the Jake’s House Community Residence, and the joy they bring to their community. Life is never dull with these two!
What’s your favourite thing about living here at the Jake’s House Community Residences?
Andrew: The staff, all the activities (like karaoke and word games), hanging out with everyone, the food… I could just keep going on and on!
Catherine: It’s got nice stuff! I also love the bingo games we play as well.
Can you tell me about a friend or acquaintance you’ve made here that means a lot to you?
Andrew: I’d be here for the next 15 minutes trying to name them all!
Catherine: Me too! I’ve got way too many friends to count (laughs).
Do you have a special memory or fun moment from your time here so far?
Andrew: I’ve had so many of those moments here I don’t even know where to begin! Our bowling trip was one moment that was so entertaining and would be up there for sure.
Catherine: Art for me!
Catherine (center) loves playing bingo and her arts and crafts.
What are you hoping to do or accomplish while you’re living here?
Andrew: I love art! I can take a blank canvas and make anything I want.
Catherine: Knitting, crocheting and art. I want to learn how to teach art to other people.
How does being around others who care about you at Jake’s House make a difference in your life?
Andrew: I love living at Jake’s House! I love the living arrangements and staff; I get to come and go as I please. The freedom is amazing.
Catherine: The staff (like Alex) is very supportive. If I want something, I go ask Alex and other staff!
Program Leader: Alex, IHP, Support Worker, Lucan
Alex (left), hanging with her second family at the Jake’s House Community Residence.
“The whole mission of Jake’s House is such a beautiful thing to me.”
Introducing Alex, a cherished Support Worker at the heart of Jake’s House Community Residence in Lucan. With her unwavering dedication and compassionate approach, Alex has become a pillar of strength and support for residents and colleagues alike. In this interview, we delve into Alex’s journey, her inspirations, and the invaluable insights she brings to her role in fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment within the Inclusive Housing Program.
What inspired you to work at Jake’s House Community Residences?
The whole mission of Jake’s House is such a beautiful thing to me. There’s such a gap in needs for the autistic community, and especially the aging autistic community. So I thought, let me get on board and let me see what I can do to help families lessen the load.
I love this job. I tell these guys, they’re like my second family. When I shop for them, I get excited. It’s like Christmas here!
Can you share a success story or a memorable moment you’ve experienced while working with residents at Jake’s House Community Residences?
I think the first big social we had. It was an evening social called a ‘Starry Night Social,’ and it was a dance. It was residents from 22 to 98 coming down to the gathering place, and they were all bonding and making friends.
You could feel a community forming, and it was really nice because a few of the residents can sometimes come in here without having any friends. A lot have been bullied through school and don’t have the support they need, and they come here and they find this wonderful community and connection through the events we have or the activities or eating together. It’s just all magical!
In what ways does Jake’s House Community Residences promote independence and autonomy for residents while ensuring they receive the necessary support and assistance?
So we are very lucky that our Director of Care, Tammy, is so picky with the staff she hires because she hires staff that have their full heart in the home. They genuinely and truly care about these residents. They care about seeing them flourish and be independent and find connections within the community.
We’ve had residents who’ve come in not knowing how to do their laundry and we work with them and now they’re on the schedule and they’re independently putting their laundry away and throwing out their garbage. We do step by step goals or we have conversations and we just strive really hard to make sure that these guys are independent and feel okay being independent, but also knowing that they have that support they need and they can always come to us.
How does Jake’s House Community Residences involve families and caregivers in the care plans and decision-making processes for residents?
So our Wellness Staff does a really good job connecting with family members and making sure that we’re always on the same page. If there’s any issues or things that we need help dealing with, we’ll go to mom or dad or a caregiver and see how we can work together in order to achieve a common goal.
We’re constantly emailing and communicating. We have a Facebook page where all the family members are invited to join to see what their family members are up to.
Can you describe the daily routines and activities that residents participate in at Jake’s House, and how these activities contribute to their overall well-being?
Sure! We have activities that run from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Those are our set daily activities every day. There’s an exercise every week, there’s something spiritual. We have entertainment, we have socials. Whatever the residents interests are is what we try and put into the calendar to keep them busy. And then on top of that, we have our passport workers who get them out to the community, whether it’s volunteering, going to the movies, or going bowling.
And then we have our Wellness Staff, who if they don’t see the residents sort of integrating with others, they’ll go and they’ll check in and figure out plans to help them.
