There have been different organizations in Indy, which have contributed to the DNA makeup of the SongShape Chorus (a new chorus for those with Alzheimer's and dementia & their care partners), which officially launched mid-September. I wanted to see and hear firsthand what was taking place to assist those who are in the later stages of their lives. In the early part of this year, I was able to connect with the folks from Joy's House. As I walked through the doors of their Broad Ripple location, I was immediately struck by the environment of compassion and dignity which oozes from every nook and cranny. During my time there, I was able to sit down with Laura Johnson (Senior Vice President of Care Services) and Corinna Thompson (Community Relations Manager) to hear their perspective concerning caring for our aged population and family care partners. I later approached Laura to see if she would be willing for me to interview her for a blog series. I was interested to hear how Joy's House has been a place of joy and refuge for the last 20 years.
Laura, share with us a little about your background and when was the moment you decided to dedicate your life in helping others who are facing life-altering challenges?
I have always been driven by building relationships and helping people navigating through their challenges. I have been in the not-for-profit arena for the last 20 years and love what it means to be truly mission-driven. I've been with Joy's House now for over 14 years and from the very beginning knew that I was home and was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Introduce us to Joy's House and its history. What is your particular role?
Joy's House is a not-for-profit adult day service. We were founded in 1999 and opened our doors to the community in 2000 in the Broad Ripple area of Indianapolis. In 2014, we assumed operations of an existing adult day program on the south side of Indianapolis and moved our second program adjacent to the University of Indianapolis campus in 2016. We offer non-medical support to individuals living with life-altering diagnoses and their families. Our goal is to keep families together and in their own homes for as long as possible, so we offer education, resources and emotional support to the family caregivers as well. I am the Senior Vice President of Family Care, so I ensure that our guests (clients) are getting the best care available when they are with us and that their families have access to resources and support.