7 Questions With
Karen
Battle
How long have you been opening your home to adults with developmental disabilities or living with someone with a developmental disability?
I’ve been living with someone with a disability for almost 37 years. I have a son that has Down syndrome.
What advice do you wish you received when you first started providing services?
What’s on paper is not always what you’re dealing with, so you have to be open minded and willing to look at different approaches to interact with people.
What is the hardest part about the work you do?
In my experience, one of the tougher things was being able to
have boundaries on the relationship I have with the person I am
taking care of. Because, with the people living with me, I naturally take them on over the years as a part of my family. But, they aren’t going to be there forever.
What is the best part about the work you do?
Most of my gratitude comes from being able to touch someone’s
life and see their life change.
What is a dream that you have for yourself?
I would like to own an agency that teaches daily living skills to people with disabilities. The agency would teach everything from making your grocery list to cleaning your bathroom.
What is the dream you have for the person(s) you are supporting?
For them to have the best quality of life.
Who do you consider a hero and why?
My Daddy was probably my hero because of the integrity he
instilled in me. Integrity is not what you do in front of everybody, but it’s what you do when nobody’s looking.