Category: Everyday Life

December 18, 2024

You’re an important piece in the puzzle. How Can You Help Foster Connections?

Modified from January 2019 Connection is such an important piece of our lives. I think of all the people I have in my life. My support system has helped me in many invaluable ways in my lifetime. But, what if they weren’t there? Where would I be right now? Through my years of working at the HCQU, this theme has...

Categories Community/Everyday Life

November 6, 2024

More than a Story: Turning to the Next Chapter

Are you an avid reader like me? Do you know someone who loves stories and sharing what they just read? Still, others out there I bet love tales of heroes and adventures, even if they can’t read. I think literature is such a gift. That’s why I’m excited to share about this world-wide book club. Aptly named Next Chapter Book...

Categories Everyday Life/Resources

October 16, 2024

Do Good and Positively Impact Your Bottom Line!

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month Employment offers many benefits beyond financial compensation. It keeps us busy, challenges us, and adds value and structure to our lives. It gives us a sense of pride, purpose, and personal achievement. This is equally important for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) and/or autism. We have witnessed the positive impact of employment on many...

Categories Community/Employment/Everyday Life/General

October 9, 2024

Trauma and Direct Care Professionals: The Forgotten Sacrifice

Modified from August 2019. Having worked in our system for a number of years now, I have heard many horrible stories of what people have had to endure in their lifetime. We truly work with some of the strongest survivors I have had the privilege of knowing. According to a report completed by NPR in 2018, people with intellectual disabilities...

Categories Everyday Life/General

October 2, 2024

Demystify Sugars: Gain an Understanding of Sugars in Your Diet

Understanding sugars in your diet is beneficial.  Especially if you are looking to lose weight, have diabetes, or are just concerned about what type of sugars you put in your body. This article will discuss the different types of sugars and how they are digested within the body. These are the types of sugars that will be discussed: Understanding Sugars...

Categories Everyday Life/General

September 11, 2024

Let’s All Make Some Room. Give Space to Grieve.

Modified from January 2019. Many years ago, I was at an agency to give a training for self-advocates on oral hygiene. As I walked into the room, there was a woman sitting by herself at the edge of the table. Her eyes were looking downward.  I greeted her, figuring she was early, and started about my business of setting up the...

Categories Everyday Life

September 4, 2024

Why Should You Care About Psychiatric Polypharmacy?

Over the years I have had the pleasure to work with many people receiving services in our system. Our team typically gets called in, not when people are doing well, but when they are struggling. This can be from a medical standpoint, a behavioral standpoint, or often both. When reviewing their records, many people are noted to have a mental...

Categories Everyday Life/General

August 28, 2024

Think Safe: Have Successful Meals, Not Sickness

Modified from August 2019. Summer is all about getting out of the house and enjoying the great outdoors.  Time outside could include picnics, fairs, parties, grilling, and all kinds of fun.  However, being outdoors with food means we need extra care around food safety. Whether you are purchasing, preparing, consuming, or storing food, it is very important to protect yourself...

Categories Community/Everyday Life/General

July 24, 2024

Fun in the Sun? More like Safe in the Summer

Modified from July 2019 5…4…3…2…1…SUMMER! June 20 marked the first day of summer. Warm weather is here. Swimming, beach-combing, cookouts, camping, and medications await us. Wait? Medications? What do medications have to do with our summer fun? We don’t often think about what medications do besides alleviating symptoms. Many of the people we support are on several different medications. Often,...

Categories Everyday Life/General

July 17, 2024

Breaking News: Milestone HCQU West is on Facebook!

What is a HCQU? Do you know what HCQU stands for? What services do they offer? Back in January of this year, I had the privilege of attending the Everyday Lives conference in Hershey, PA. Some of my colleagues and I shared a vendor table with the other Health Care Quality Units (HCQUs) across the state and had an opportunity...

Categories Community/Everyday Life/General/Resources