“You were able to give my client back his life.”
Good programs, like yours, simply do not exist. I have complete confidence in you and your staff to provide my client with the level of care he needs. You go far beyond meeting the basic care needs. You go out of your way to provide quality of life enhancements, giving each resident significant one on one attention. You provide interesting and fun activities, much like they would choose if they lived lives without limitations. You were able to give my client back his life. You worked tirelessly with him and due to your dedication, he got out of his wheelchair for the first time in over 20 years, and is now able to walk.
Guardian and Conservator
“Homeward Bound is a Godsend to us.”
We are the parents of a determined and talented young man who sustained a critical brain injury in a tragic motor cycle accident. After several unsuccessful placements (our son’s behavior caused fear and was very challenging) . . . we finally found Homeward Bound. Their belief is that each resident deserves acceptance and tolerance followed by supportive coaching and learning. Our son is thriving there and making excellent progress. We believe that he is receiving the best rehabilitation care possible.
Parent
“Knowing he is so well taken care of helps to ease my pain and concern.”
My son suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of an auto accident. When it became apparent that he could not be taken care of at home we began the search for a facility. He was in two foster homes (each briefly) prior to Homeward Bound; he was very unhappy at each place. Fortunately for him and for us, Homeward Bound was suggested to us. I have nothing but praise and gratitude to the Homeward Bound staff. They are kind, caring, hard-working people. I also want to comment on the facility. It is located in a very nice neighborhood and is well maintained and immaculately clean. As his mother, knowing he is so well taken care of helps to ease my pain and concern.
Parent
“Homeward Bound welcomes and uses outside professionals as needed”
I have been impressed with the energy that you and your staff people have invested in developing opportunities for the people in your program, most of whom are presented with some real challenges in their daily lives. Homeward Bound welcomes and uses outside professionals as needed, including Occupational Therapist, RN’s and Physical Therapist. The results of their work are evident throughout the residents’ care plans, and they provide direct training to staff members to assure the implementation is consistent.
Professional
“Their willingness to care for such a difficult resident . . . speaks volumes.”
I have always found their staff to not only be supportive, but also proactive in thinking of ways to motivate and engage him in activities of daily living. Their willingness to care for such a difficult resident by providing him with an atmosphere of love and support speaks volumes to the caliber of the staff and their reputation in the brain injury community. On top of that, their staff and they have been overwhelmingly sympathetic and understanding about the continuing needs of myself and our children, and have openly sought to convey that to us.
Finding good care for the special needs of brain injured victims is much more difficult than most people realize. . . Homeward Bound both rescued our family out of a desperate state and willingly took on a client with needs that stretched them in every way. In all that, they valiantly and competently handled the situation with professionalism. I am most grateful that my husband has been lovingly and adequately cared for at Homeward Bound for the past eight years. Stated simply, it puts my mind at rest knowing he is there.
Spouse
“His improvement is astonishing.”
Though I have been practicing medicine for over 25 years, my knowledge of the challenges related to traumatic brain injury was modest until my brother suffered TBI in a serious car accident. Since that time, I have been his primary supporting family member.
My brother was in a coma for about a month, and then progressed through various hospitals until he was discharged to a nursing home. At first, his memory was so impaired that rehab was not an option. Eventually, his memory started to come back, and we moved him to Oregon. He was initially place in a care facility in Corvallis, but it soon became apparent that this was nothing more than a place to live. He had food and shelter, but no meaningful therapy or personal interactions, and little prospect of regaining meaningful cognitive function.
He was moved to the Portland area, and to Homeward Bound. The improvement in his quality of life was immediate, and he flourished in the “family type” atmosphere there. He quickly came to regard the staff there as nurturing friends. Over the course of the next few years, his improvement was astonishing, and due in large part to the efforts and caring of the staff at Homeward Bound.
The ability to assess each individual resident’s interests and potential, and then to creatively find ways to help the resident achieve his potential under challenging circumstances, is a unique part of the Homeward Bound program. The ability and willingness to work with each resident, both individually and in group discussions, makes a huge difference in whether the residents vegetate, or progress toward recovery. . . There is no question in my mind that my brother would never have reached the degree of recovery he has achieved, had he been placed in any of the other brain injury facilities available in this area.
Family & Professor of Medicine
‘I am convinced that he has been able to progress because of his ongoing treatment at Homeward Bound.”
My son has shown huge improvements in his ability to be kinder, more mellow . . . to have fewer rage outbursts and be aware to control negative feelings of anger, and even graduate to more independent living in the future.
I am convinced that he has been able to progress because of his ongoing treatment at Homeward Bound. I believe his progress would have been sooner had he been placed at Homeward immediately after his feeding tube was removed and released from the nursing home.
Family
“…tremendous relief when my bother was admitted to Homeward Bound.”
Prior to going to Homeward Bound, my brother had two placements at other foster homes in the Portland area, both failures. They were unable to handle his outbursts and offered NO type of stimulation at all. Generally, he would just lie in bed or sit in his wheelchair alone, which was heartbreaking to see.
I believe that I am able to speak with some authority on this subject, as I am an MSW and also a registered nurse. I know from experience with discharge planning that brain injury clients are among the most difficult to successfully place. Carol and her staff made the placement transition easy for my family. It was such a tremendous relief when my bother was admitted to Homeward Bound . . . words cannot express it! He has responded to the calm environment, loves the animals and outings, and has made tremendous progress from their therapeutic programming that promotes his independence and autonomy.
Most importantly, my brother’s care has been impeccable at Homeward Bound, and the home is consistently immaculate. He is wheelchair-bound, and therefore at a high risk for skin breakdown; yet, his skin is consistently in great condition. Any time that I have come to visit, announced or unannounced, this has always been the case. Carol and the staff have taken such a personal interest in Jim, which has made him feel like he has a second family. This gives him a real lift and no doubt has been one of the unique ingredients that has made his life a rehab at Homeward Bound successful.
Family, MSW & RN
“I wish there were more like it.”
I am a clinical social worker on the brain injury team. I have had a longstanding relationship with Carol Altman and Homeward Bound since it began and appreciate the services the program provides to those with brain injuries and their families. Homeward Bound fills a unique niche in the community for this population by providing a safe supportive environment with the structure that brain injury survivors need to help in their recovery. The staff at Homeward Bound have been eager to learn from our therapists and willing to carryover our therapy staff’s recommendations into the residential setting when we have a patient transitioning to this program.
It is not always easy to find appropriate placement for brain-injured individuals when they are ready to leave acute rehab. Although there are other adult foster homes and residential care facilities in the community most are not equipped to provide the expertise and structure that Homeward Bound does. Most are not able to manage the kinds of behavioral and emotional problems that these individuals sometime face in their recovery process. Homeward Bound has demonstrated a willingness and expertise to take on these challenges and develop individual programs to address them. I appreciate having this program as a resource in our community and wish there were more like it.
Clinical Social Worker
“I love the way the Homeward Bound team approach helping the brain injured.”
I love the way the Homeward Bound team approach helping the brain injured community to return to a life of independence and productive living. A social system is developed with their home-mates, they participate in great activities such as rafting, trips to town, tour of local points of interest, gardening, walking the dog (a GREAT dog by the way), help with feeding and caring for the animals, etc.
Certified Case Manager
“The program …goes above and beyond.”
Homeward Bound has been an exceptional facility in that it addresses the individual rather than being a “cookie-cutter” AFH . . . They consistently contract specialists to consult when staff members are not able to meet specific resident needs. They are always broadening and re-developing program for this population.
The program also goes above and beyond by truly attempting to re-integrate the TBI population into the community. The program is often taking clients out on innovative outings which require the resident to utilize widely varying skills. Not only is this stimulating for the residents but it provides the milieu for the residents to re-learn and practice skills damaged due to the TBI event.
Speech Pathologist & Neuro Psychotherapist
“Our community could benefit from more facilities like Homeward Bound.”
Homeward Bound has been a resource available to my clients where they can live and have a stimulating and caring environment. If it were not for an environment such as Homeward Bound, there would be no place for these individuals. This would certainly compound the injuries they have received, both to them and their families. It has been my experience that the families are very satisfied with the care that has been provided by the Homeward Bound staff to these extremely challenged individuals. Our community could benefit from more facilities like Homeward Bound. Homeward Bound’s benefit to their clients and this community is incalculable.
Trial Lawyer