Takaia Butler(Project Link)-Midway Neurological & Rehabilitation Center

1. I volunteered my time to Midway Neurological and Rehabilitation Center in Bridgeview, Illinois, which services a reliable and comfortable stay for individuals with onsite 24-hour care service. I volunteered with the activity department for a one day service preparing the individuals for breakfast, lunch and both snacks breaks, assisting in activities.

2. I was able to work directly with individuals with disabilities and seeing and hear the different stories of their lives and how many of the individuals were homeless before coming into the center as well others on drugs. I was able to see how the individuals managed with their income and how they mostly lived under the poverty line, as well seeing how a lot of individuals lost connection with their family and friends.

3. I was able to see how each professional within the center worked handed and hand at providing the individual the best care and help possible. How the social services worked as a team with the nursing staff and the financial department staff, how the financial department worked side by side of the medical records department. I gained the knowledge that everyone works together to build the best stay and assure that the individual is getting the best possible care while in the center.

4. I believe that the service activity can allow those individuals who never worked with this population before a better understand of what their daily life consist of and allow them to see the perception that is mostly giving about nursing homes and rehabilitation centers are generally not always true.

 
5.  I really enjoyed working with the individuals I choose this center because I one day want to work with individuals with drug addictions or as a family services provider in general. This experience allowed me to get a better understand of the different things some of the individuals been through and what brought them into the center to live.