Carol

Sometimes, an apartment is more than just a place to live.

Carol’s life in the community centers around her apartment. She loves living there, and decorated it with help from her friends Dawn and Gene, her team from Lakeland Care, and her rep-payee. Carol fixes her own breakfast and lunch, administering her medications and takes care of herself. She keeps the apartment clean and does her own laundry.

As a little girl Carol had a stroke which left her with weakness on one side of her body. As the result of the stroke Carol lived with family until her early 20s, then later lived in adult family homes. After many years living with others Carol decided she was ready to live on her own. She moved into her apartment in Manitowoc at age 56.

Carol loves her jobs and is able to work independently. Her apartment is close to where she works cleaning at a local gas station, a restaurant and a church. Since moving into her own place Carol has had a lot more involvement with her family; her dad, sister and brother all come to visit her there. She also looks forward to visits with Dawn and Gene from the adult family home, who’ve been like family to her for 17 years.

Carol has made lots of friends within her apartment complex, where she frequently walks for exercise and attends other activities. Through Family Care Carol is set up with Self-Directed Supports (SDS) services that assist her with things like shopping and money management. Carol’s SDS workers have also helped her learn to ride the city bus so she can be even more independent.

Carol is very active. She participates on Special Olympics’ bocce ball and bowling teams, and placed second in the Special Olympics bowling tournament. Every year Carol attends the Christian Special Touch Camp, which she absolutely loves.

Carol loves living in her apartment, and her life has been enriched through living, working and recreating in her community. She enjoys leading a more independent life.