Jennie recently traveled more than 1,700 miles from Austin, TX to her forever home at Rose House. It was a long journey in many ways because she had dealt with substandard care for nearly her entire adult life. In the year before she moved, Jennie was often transferred around to understaffed group homes, living out of a suitcase and sleeping on air mattresses.
Although Texas is famous for southern hospitality, politeness and charm, the business-focused state isn’t ideal for people with special needs like Jennie. Group homes typically pay their staff the state minimum wage while retail stores offer around double that rate, yielding a lower quality of care.
Jennie endured additional hardship when her parents passed away, leaving her with one brother in Austin whom she saw on occasion and a sister who lived across the country. She had already lost her other brother to Lou Gehrig’s disease when she was a young adult.
Jennie’s sister Lara, who moved to New Jersey more than 30 years ago, flew to Texas every four to six weeks after their parents’ deaths to visit Jennie. Lara knew she had to move Jennie close by because she needed 24/7 supervision due to her progressing dementia. However, leaving a full-time job to provide care wasn’t an option. In addition, the current placement in Texas could be jeopardized if they discovered that Jennie could be leaving.
New Jersey’s bureaucracy added another layer of complexity, but Lara’s hard work paid off. Jennie moved into her forever home in Budd Lake, NJ in April 2023, and her quality of life has improved substantially.
“After not having steady housemates, staff and routines, it took Jennie some time to get acclimated, but I can tell she is very happy and comfortable now,” Lara said. “Every time I bring her back home after she visits me, she hugs the caregivers as soon as she walks in. She now has a sense of trust, which I’m thankful for every day.”
Lara added that she feels Jennie is safer at Rose House. “The residents are taught where the fire exits are, and there are fire drills conducted. There was no way her group home in Texas ever had a fire drill,” she explained.
Jennie is now enjoying life with her three female housemates. She loves writing, coloring, and movies, especially the Star Wars trilogy. Despite scoliosis and other physical impediments, Jennie dances anytime she hears music. She also loves looking at family photos, which serve as a positive anchor for her memory.
Lara lives just a half hour away. She picks Jennie up every Sunday night to have dinner with her family: husband Stephan, daughters Melinda, Becca, and Anna, aged 21, 23, and 24, respectively, and their dog Maia (pictured). After a tumultuous few years, Jennie finally has a sense of stability and family.
