Keith Peterson : Be All You Can Be Part 2 of 4

After contracting spinal meningitis as a toddler, 50-year-old Keith Peterson has managed to make his way from illness to independence, but the journey was not an easy one. It took the help of his family and countless professionals for him to achieve as normal and independent a home life as possible.

Keith was far less impacted by his physical and mental disabilities than he was from the loss of his eyesight. After about seven years of training at the Ohio State School for the Blind in Columbus, Keith learned to cope with his blindness in his own way.

At 19, he still needed to learn to handle everyday tasks such as personal hygiene, doing laundry and other basic household chores. He was enrolled for two years at the William A. Proctor Center in Cincinnati to learn these skills and has, over time, developed into a well-organized and schedule-conscious adult.

Keith spent the majority of his life living with his mother until he was accepted into a multi-person living facility for the developmentally disabled. Despite any physical or mental limitations, Keith has learned to take care of himself and manage his day, just like everyone else.

In 2007 his family asked the Greene County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability (MRDD) to recommend options for in-home, round-the-clock assistance for Keith. The goal was to help him move from the group setting into a more independent environment.

Greene County MRDD provides many such services to mentally challenged individuals and their families. The goal of the organization is to enhance the continued development of mutually beneficial partnerships between those with various disabilities and their Greene County communities.

In November of 2007, Keith moved into his own apartment in Cedarville, but he still needed some help around the house even with his endless determination. In situations like this, however, personalities and needs may vary considerably and some services may not be a good fit right off the bat.

"We had one organization that was helping Keith for about a year but it didn't work out," explained Keith's sister, Angela Curfman. "You really have to find a good fit and people who understand the individual that they are working with." Fortunately for Keith the second agency, called Equal People, was a perfect match.

Equal People is a private, in-home care organization that specializes in supporting the needs of MRDD clients. Based in Springfield, the company has been providing Keith with full-time, in-home assistance since April of 2008.

Caregivers from Equal People work with Keith essentially anytime he is not at his daytime job. Someone from the agency is with him during the second and third shifts from Monday to Friday and on all three shifts over the weekend. They help him with cooking, hygiene, household chores errands, and take him to the Dayton Avenue Baptist Church twice every Sunday.

Don Lough is the owner and founder of Equal People, which serves clients in Greene, Warren and Clark counties. "I'd worked in the business for other companies before but I was never happy with how they were being run so I opened my own," said Lough, an entrepreneur who still works in the field. "I'm a working owner and if I'm not working on my computer I'm out with a client."

Funding for services provided by Equal People and other similar organizations comes from the state through referral by the county MRDD agencies. "The cases I do are referred to as individual option, or I.O., waivers," Lough explained. "Funding is determined based on the need of the client following an assessment by doctors and psychologists."

"With I.O. waivers, client services can be provided anywhere from 10 hours a week to up to 24 hours a day, as in Keith's case," Lough continued. Keith's situation requires him to have a home care companion anytime he is not at work but, according to them, working with him is a pleasure.

Todd Flesch is one of Keith's three caregivers from Equal People. "Keith is one of the most fun clients you can have," he said. "He is very structured and has a set time for doing things from making breakfast to getting his clothes ready for the next day." Flesch also remarked on Keith's interest in exercise. "He is active and energetic and likes to go out and run," Flesch said.

Keith agreed with the assessment. "I jog," Keith said, making a running motion with his arms to emphasize the point. "I like doing jumping jacks and pushups too." Wherever possible, caregivers try to use the client's interests to motivate social interaction and, like working a job, recreational events provide an ideal setting.

At the Special Olympics events on May 17, Keith took home a 3rd place ribbon in the softball toss, similar to a shot-put competition and put his running skills to work as well. With his Equal People helper serving as his eyes, Keith finished fifth in the 100-yard dash. Events like this keep Keith active but before he can participate he has to be able to get there.

Even if his blindness were not an issue, Keith's ability to drive would still be limited so he must rely on others for transportation. In the evenings and on weekends his care providers from Equal People take him wherever he needs to go, but during the week the Greene County Transit Board provides him with a daily round-trip ride to and from work.

Greene CATS, as it is more widely known, provides public transportation seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout Greene County and some areas of Montgomery. The service is available to anyone at flag stops and by scheduling the trip in advance for on-demand, curbside pickup.

The establishment of basic living needs and dependable transportation has Keith ready to head off to work. Don't miss Part III: Workin' Man Blues.

Writer's Note: The terms "mental retardation" and "developmental disability" were the current clinically-accepted terminologies provided during the research for the Keith Peterson series. This type of terminology is in no way intended to restrict or label any individuals based on their particular disability. Accepted nomenclature changes regularly based on research and accepted clinical definitions. These terms should never be used as negative slang.