A home of their own | ABC NewspapersABC Newspapers

September 2012 marked a milestone in the life of Lori Turbenson. It was then that Lori, a 32-year old woman with Down syndrome, moved into her own apartment and began living independently for the first time in her life.

A ?huge Eagles fan,? Lori Turbenson shows off her collection of the rock band?s CDs, safely tucked away in a dresser drawer. Photo by Sue Austreng

?This is my very own apartment and I love it,? Lori said, proudly showing a visitor around her tidy one-bedroom Coon Rapids apartment last week.

One of Lori?s favorite pastimes is cooking and with her apartment?s spacious kitchen, she can cook to her heart?s desire.

Lori also enjoys entertaining friends and listening to Eagles rock band music in her sunny living room.

Not only that, her bedroom is ?the perfect size for me,? she said.

She?s living on her own, but if Lori should need anything, an Opportunity Partners staff member is never far away.

Lori resides at hoMEbase-Woodland, an Opportunity Partners housing service that provides independent living with the added safety and security of professional staff just down the hall.

?It?s not quite group home living, but it?s not completely independent living either,? said hoMEbase-Woodland program manager Angela Stanton.

Opportunity Partners spokesperson Julie Peters calls hoMEbase living ?a nice safety net for families whose loved one is living independently for the first time. It gives comfort to families,? Peters said.

When hoMEbase-Woodland opened in September 2012, it became just the second hoMEbase living location in the Twin Cities. The other located in Hopkins opened in 2011.

The concept behind hoMEbase is simple, Peters said.

?Opportunity Partners rents several units of an existing, centrally-located apartment complex which are then rented out to people who enroll in the service,? she said.

One of the units in the apartment building becomes an office for on-site Opportunity Partners staff members, one of whom is on site 24 hours a day, she said.

Stanton talked about the ?perfect blend of independence and support? that is offered with hoMEbase living.

?Each of our clients has their own apartment and Opportunity Partners provides 24-hour service from just down the hall,? Stanton said.

Opportunity Partners practices a daily check-in with each of its hoMEbase residents and also provides help with medications and budgeting and can assist with daily tasks like cooking, cleaning and schedule management, if needed.

Field trips and other group outings are also offered as part of hoMEbase living. And once a week, hoMEbase residents get together to prepare and eat dinner together.

At home at hoMEbase-Woodland, in addition to their own apartment, each resident also has access to the building?s exercise room and racquetball court. And come summer, residents can enjoy Woodland?s outdoor pool, basketball and tennis courts, or take a walk on paths surrounding the building. There?s also a community room to rent for larger gatherings, family reunions, birthday parties and such.

Lori is currently one of four hoMEbase-Woodland residents. Four more are due to move in by month?s end.

As she shows a visitor her new home, there is no doubt that Lori is proud of her independence.

?I like living alone and I would like a lot of visitors. I want to show off my place,? she said.

hoMEbase gets started

The GHR Foundation provided three years of funding to help Opportunity Partners innovate, implement and develop hoMEbase.

hoMEbase residents are charged the state-legislated room and board rate, which includes rent and utilities, as well as allowances for groceries, phone and laundry.

To be eligible for funding for the program, Peters said that a person must apply through their county?s division of disability services and be assessed in a variety of areas that affect their ability to live independently.

Medical Assistance programs, like the developmental disabilities waiver, pay for hoMEbase staffing, while room and board costs are paid for by the individuals through a combination of earned income from their jobs and unearned income like Social Security, Peters said.

To learn more about hoMEbase-Woodland, contact Stanton at 612-203-1658 or astanton@opportunities.org.

To learn more about Opportunity Partners, visit www.Opportunities.org.

Sue Austreng is at sue.austreng@ecm-inc.com

Source: http://abcnewspapers.com/2013/01/24/a-home-of-their-own/

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