Meet Kelly!
Kelly is an Independent Living Program Specialist with UCP of West Central Wisconsin. She has been working with UCPWCW for three years, first working as a caregiver in our self-directed care program and eventually graduating into her current role—but what do our ILP Specialists do?
“My current role entails assisting clients with needs while keeping them at home instead of in a facility or with other caregivers—keeping them at home and living the quality life that they deserve,” says Kelly. “[There’s] this perception that we only work with people with cerebral palsy, but UCP is so much more than that, and the reach is so much more than that—UCP is a community-involved organization—it’s more inclusive.”
Kelly works diligently and performs a variety of roles in supporting her clients, no matter how big or small the task at hand: “Sometimes I take them to doctor’s appointments, sometimes I take them grocery shopping, [and] sometimes I clean their toilets. I help them in the shower, and there’s other times where I just stand next to them as we walk somewhere. Whatever that client’s needs are.” We emphasize client-focused care in our programs to ensure their concerns are heard and their needs are met. Thanks to people like Kelly, our Independent Living Program makes a direct, tangible impact on our community by providing various non-medical services and performing assistive functions in clients’ homes.
“Recently, we helped a client obtain hearing aids and a consult for cochlear implants. This client struggled with being housed and was homeless for approximately 18 years, but they are now going through UCPWCW’s housing counseling program to remain living independently in their apartment. We’ve taken it a step further and are improving quality of life by addressing their hearing issues, too,” says Kelly. “[I] see the direct outcome of hands-on work helping people who need it. [I’m] not just hearing it secondhand, or down the road. [I’m] seeing it day to day [and] it’s very rewarding.”
Although we encounter struggles and challenges in our programs, our specialists work with clients so they may overcome these obstacles and live their lives without limits. Kelly is a wonderful example of how UCP strives to enable change in the lives of the people we work with.
We collaborate with community members, families, and individuals in need to improve their well-being and living conditions. If you know somebody in need of the services we offer, direct them to contact us at (715) 832-1732 or info@ucpwcw.org