John

John has always been very mechanically inclined. Born and raised on the family’s dairy farm in Kewaskum, he grew up working with his dad and focused on bottling and delivering milk. Later, John found a job working as a custodian/janitor at the Holy Trinity Church and School and was employed there for almost 50 years. On the job, John received free lunch but when he retired from work he lost the meal plan and later was diagnosed with diabetes.

 

Living on his own in a small town, John experienced some deficits in self-care. He was not maintaining good nutrition or taking his medications correctly. These challenges prompted John’s family to encourage him to move to Maple Meadows in Fond du Lac to be closer to his brother, Steve. Once he moved Steve understood that John needed additional assistance so they went to the Aging and Disability Resource Center and enrolled John into Lakeland Care’s Family Care program in September of 2015.

 

At Maple Meadows, staff assist John with his personal care and provide medical oversight to help John maintain his physical health. John keeps busy with activities there and also enjoys passing time watching TV. John is very satisfied living at Maple Meadows and having the support of Lakeland Care.

 

John’s family is also a strong source of support. They assist him with his finances, personal shopping, decision-making and transportation throughout the community. John’s brother Steve takes him out a few times a week to spend time with family and friends, which is very important to him. Every Sunday John sees his family at their weekly family dinner; what started as just a few people coming together has now evolved into a meal bringing over 25 family members together each week. John also joins Steve and Steve’s father-in-law every week for a “boys night out.”

 

At first, Steve was nervous about enrolling John into the Family Care program, but he couldn’t be happier with the results. Regarding his experience with Lakeland Care, Steve says “the relationship with John’s care team has been wonderful,” and “everything has been seamless and effortless for the family and they truly appreciate that everyone at Lakeland Care is concerned about John’s well-being.” Steve adds, “John enjoys what he is doing and has a wonderful life.”

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