Day 1043 - Apr 7, 2011

Ok - so I am finally getting around to Kevin's goals while at ResCare. Some of these are short term and some are long term, but they all will help him function better.

The most important part of Kevin's therapy schedule is speech for both him and me. My most immediate goal would be for him to learn everyone's names at ResCare. He needs to know whose name to call when he needs help.

They are also working with him on learning his alphabet verbally and cognitively as well as learning to say the time. He has been able to say the time on the hour and half past, but struggles with just saying something like 4:39 - an exact time. Kev and I have gotten some of the alphabet down too, but I realized he was learning the song and not the actual letters. When we discussed it a while back, he agreed and I was happy to hear that he remembered and told the therapist that he didn't want to learn them in order.

He is also to learn the names of 25 functional objects in his room and the kitchen.

As for other goals, he is learning to follow a schedule without help. They keep a schedule for each patient on the wall and Kevin must learn to both read and follow it. He was already kinda doing this at home so it should be no problem.

He also must learn to cook 3 simple meals a week and be safe in the kitchen.

Another thing Kevin has really struggled with is the names of his body parts. It is also on the agenda to get all of those down pat.

Of course there are physical goals as well - they are really making him use his right arm and I love that! He is also building up his stamina again. Every time something happens he loses so much ground and when his knee was hyper-extending he lost everything he had gained while walking around the neighborhood. He has went to the pool once this week already and is working hard at building up the muscles that he can.

I haven't been able to really talk to Kevin privately this week to see if he is feeling better up there, but I think he is. He isn't calling as much and that's always a good sign.

And I have some friends here that came down for a quick visit from PA for a few days and we are getting together with Kevin tomorrow so maybe I will get to talk to him. I know he's excited to see Diane and Mary Jo! We aren't really doing much, but it's nice to just sit and talk with them!

And today I went into Kevin's bathroom here at the house and found quite a bit of water on the floor. I couldn't figure it out at first, but then I looked up I saw that it was dripping from the ceiling. Damn, I hate this house! What a total mess. Apparently my shower (I am guessing anyway) is losing a lot of water through the floor somehow? I don't know...but I am sure glad I don't own this house. I hate the fact that I have to deal with all the problems though...