News from Care Wisconsin

July 7, 2009

Mike's Story

The change from county care to managed care wasn’t easy for Green Lake County Family Care member Mike Hahn, who has a developmental disability.

Not well-known for his adaptability, Mike had to adjust to staffing and medication schedule changes. Mike’s new care team—including Social Worker Chris Wright and RN Mary Johanknecht—worked with providers, Mike’s guardian, and natural supports to smooth the transition and keep Mike in a good place physically, socially, and emotionally.

A key part of Mike’s improved situation stems from bowling! When they found out how much Mike loves to bowl, and that his former Special Olympics bowling team was no longer in place, Chris and Mary worked with the local bowling alley owner, Ralph, to get Mike bowling again.

In fact, Mike now bowls on a team with a competitive 179 average—and the interaction has improved his outlook and behavior tremendously. Mike has always disliked using the phone, but now he independently makes a weekly phone call to remind his care team that he needs a cab ride to bowling.

Ed Schuh, manager at Fox River Industries (FRI), has also seen recent improvement in Mike’s behavior at FRI’s prevocational services program, where he does a variety of packaging, assembly, and inspection tasks.

Monika Bori, administrator for residential services at Diverse Options, where Mike has lived for the past four years, says the care team’s work in keeping Mike motivated and getting everyone on the same page has really made all the difference in getting and keeping him safe and living independently like he wants. She adds that “Chris and Mary are willing to put in whatever it takes to see that Mike is healthy and also happy.”

Even talking about bowling is a refocusing tool that helps get Mike back on track if he starts to get upset: it “brings him back to a place where he feels good, and has a sense of pride,” says Monika.

For more personal stories about Care Wisconsin and our members, see our 2009 Storybook.

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