Calm. That’s the first feeling you get when you pull into the driveway of the house Deb manages in Westfield. It’s felt again when she brings you inside and introduces you to everyone — after a temperature check and a sign-in process. Two people are playing cards on the couch, one person is on a Zoom program with friends and an instructor from their day program. A third person is resting with music and headphones enjoying the good weather outside.
“It’s pretty laidback here,” Deb says, as if she has nothing to do with setting this tone. Some days she spends as the only staff member, other days she has support. “The individuals who live here like to do a lot of activities. So we try to create the environment for them to keep busy and productive on their own.”
She credits the staff for keeping the house moving forward without issues. “It naturally flows, and the staff keep things pretty smooth.” During the peak of COVID, through all the months, only one staff person tested positive. “The house was quarantined once, and after that, we stayed healthy and continue to follow the guidelines.”
“It’s pretty laidback here. . . .The individuals who live here like to do a lot of activities. So we try to create the environment for them to keep busy and productive on their own.”
The road at the end of the driveway is dug up, large and loud trucks move around the edge of the property. A man from the gas company comes over to tell Deb that next week they will start working on her gas line. But rather than dig up her driveway and yard, they will slide a gas pipe from the road under the property, to connect with the house. “I was expecting a lot of disruption for days,” she said after. “This is good.”
Deb started with BCArc more than 30 years ago as a relief worker, then full-time staff, assistant director, and then her currant position as site manager. She feels lucky and sees herself staying with the same program.
“These guys are great. You can be having a bad day, but then you come to work and they shower you with appreciation when you didn’t expect anything,” she said. “Something you never knew mattered to them and they’re thanking you a lot, and it brightens your day and turns everything around.”
