When I first walked down the hallway in ADS I had no idea what to expect but what I quickly realized is that it was lunch time and I probably came at a terrible time. Regardless of my timing, I walked into all the rooms, interacted with individuals and direct service providers and saw that all of the rooms were full of life.
Everyday up to 80 individuals arrive at Excentia’s Rohrerstown location for a day of socialization, activities and fun. When individuals come through the doors they are greeted by familiar faces and direct service providers. Throughout the day there are many trials and errors making this job important and not always glamorous.
One thing that is very important to those who run ADS is that each individual has fun whether it be in the building or in the community. Having that one on one engagement makes a huge difference in how their days develop. For some individuals coming to ADS is the only socialization they might get that day and for others it gives them a break from being at home. One unique thing that many people mentioned is how the staff actually gets to know who the individuals are that they see everyday, it isn’t just a job to many of the direct service providers. In fact a few of them have been with the company for over 10 years.
Some activities that the individuals get to do include drumming circle on Fridays, game days, end of season bashes, learning how to cook and bake, etc. One activity that was mentioned was a reptile show, which I always enjoyed in my own experiences. All of these activities allow those in attendance to learn and perform basic life skills that otherwise might not have been learned or reinforced. The individuals recently made blankets for COBYS located in Lancaster County.
When families are looking into Excentia’s ADS program they find that it will offer their loved ones a place to go during the day where they are accepted and can build relationships among their peers. When on the tour of the facilities questions such as “What are you looking for and what can we offer you” are asked because Excentia wants to make sure you and your loved ones are getting exactly what you want out of the program.
ADS is meant to give meaningful, fun experiences in a safe engaging atmosphere and that is exactly what I saw when visiting for the day.
If you are interested in finding a fullfilling career in direct support care check out the openings at Excentia, today! http://excentiahumanservices.com/careers/. Also check out the video below!
Alpha Love and Mine,
Lexis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3RbrR2LZd4&feature=youtu.be
