By Danielle Banman, Emerald Therapy Resource – Kansas
Dick Hosty is a 62 year-old resident at The Healthcare Resort of Leawood. Dick is very involved in the community and is passionate about advocating for people with disabilities. He has made several YouTube videos documenting reviews of accessible wheelchair trails. Dick has cerebral palsy with dysarthria and knows the daily challenges dysarthria presents for him and others. Dick worked with his SLP, Madi Hinmon, to prepare a presentation he used during two monthly inservices at Leawood to train all staff on working with people with dysarthria. He has a great sense of humor and shared a funny story about his response to being made fun of for his speech when ordering a pizza by phone. Every attendee laughed throughout the presentation and learned how to better communicate with Dick and other people with communication challenges. As a special treat, my teenage son Jacob who also has cerebral palsy, attended one of the trainings. Jacob loved the presentation and admired Dick’s resilience and passion for advocacy.
We are so grateful for the leadership of our DOR, Camrin Nettey, for growing clinical therapy leaders. We are beyond proud and grateful for Madi for facilitating treatment to improve Dick’s communication skills and supporting Dick through this journey of advocating for himself and others. Dick shared, “I am not just doing this for me, it is not the Dick Hosty show. I am doing it for others who have communication needs.” These are the moments that dignify long-term in the eyes of the world and pave the way for future generations of healthcare professionals to support people with disabilities. Thank you to the incredible team at The Healthcare Resort of Leawood!