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Background-I work as an associate instructor for an agency who provides overall care for people with developmental disabilities. My job is in community homes, there are six homes that I am associated with (there are more but my section has six) in the Robbinsdale area of town. Each home has 5 individuals with varying degrees of disabilities and our job as staff is to teach them life skills such as shopping, cleaning their house, personal care, respect for others, cooking and anything else that would help them become independent members of the community. The homes are staffed 24 hours a day and you become very close to those staff members and with the person's we serve, likewise the people we serve become equally attached to staff as they see them and interact with them daily.
The sad news- One of our staff died on December 18th, she did not show up for work on December 20th so another staff member went to her home and found her dead in her bed, she was only 43! What a shocker!! I was told that they believe it was a Grand Mal as she has epileptic attacks and was taking meds for that. Her parents opted not to have a autopsy. We had to keep this secret from the people we serve until after Christmas because management did not want them to be burdened with such sad news while they were away with their families for the holidays.
We started to tell them last night at one of the homes that she worked at (a ladies home) and it was pretty emotional. The hardest home that will be hit will be one of the homes that houses men because she worked there the most and was super close to those guys! Her funeral is on Thursday and those we serve have the opportunity to attend her funeral if they want, the upper management team is going to be there to support them in anyway they can and I am sure that the two behavior specialists will also be there.
The whole staff is pretty bummed out, like I said we are a pretty close bunch and this was definately a shocker for us.
The sad news- One of our staff died on December 18th, she did not show up for work on December 20th so another staff member went to her home and found her dead in her bed, she was only 43! What a shocker!! I was told that they believe it was a Grand Mal as she has epileptic attacks and was taking meds for that. Her parents opted not to have a autopsy. We had to keep this secret from the people we serve until after Christmas because management did not want them to be burdened with such sad news while they were away with their families for the holidays.
We started to tell them last night at one of the homes that she worked at (a ladies home) and it was pretty emotional. The hardest home that will be hit will be one of the homes that houses men because she worked there the most and was super close to those guys! Her funeral is on Thursday and those we serve have the opportunity to attend her funeral if they want, the upper management team is going to be there to support them in anyway they can and I am sure that the two behavior specialists will also be there.
The whole staff is pretty bummed out, like I said we are a pretty close bunch and this was definately a shocker for us.
Being autistic, I get really attached to those who help me and love/care for me, as well as well as anyone I'm around enough.
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