Adult Living

Ten beautifully appointed and maintained homes are the centerpiece of our community. Each home has its own personality and routines, where individuals share in daily life. The Village also includes homes that are specially adapted to match the needs of senior residents. There is a strong sense of camaraderie in each home, but it does not take away from each person’s own interests and activities.

Staff members support residents through a mentoring and coaching approach, giving each person the opportunity to access the greater community,  do for themselves as well as supporting one another. Residents benefit from life skills instruction, nutrition and meal planning, personal wellness, and community awareness.

Many of our homes have studio apartments attached for semi-independent community living. These attractive apartments give residents an opportunity for greater independence while having the security of direct access to a 24-hour staffed home. Our residential community is supervised 24-hours a day by on-site, awake, overnight staff and management staff who oversee the entire neighborhood. Regular safety drills are conducted and employees are monitored routinely. Each home is very active in the local communities through regular activities and access for routine living needs.

Our staff are special people who are dedicated to seeing that each person receives quality supports with dignity and respect. At Pathfinder Village, we utilize a coaching model of management, focusing on lifelong learning and teamwork. Each home has a House Manager (HM) who is the lead staff in the residence. The HM supports and guides the staff assigned to their home by managing the schedule, organizing resident activities, implementing service plans, and advocating for the individuals who live in each home. Pathfinder has a long and successful history of dedicated, long-term employees. Many of the staff are drawn to Pathfinder for the same reason our residents are -- they are looking for a community!

It is our goal at Pathfinder Village for all individuals to enjoy friendships, opportunities for independence, access to community resources, and the comforts of our close-knit community. We also strive to nurture and support individuals and the changing needs of people as they age; to this effect, we continually reevaluate our programs and services, modify Village buildings and housing options as needed, and provide enhanced staff training and specialized clinical services.

In addition to fully participating in daily routines, planned and spontaneous activities with friends, and adult education, residents also have opportunities to shape their futures and the future of the Village community. This is accomplished through a campus-based self-advocacy group, Council Rock, named after a famous landmark in Cooperstown. The group meets regularly to discuss issues pertinent to the lives of Village residents.

The purpose of Council Rock is three-fold:

• To practice self-advocacy and volunteerism. The motto of the group is "We speak up for ourselves and our friends,”
• To share stories with other self-advocates, families, and the community as Pathfinder Village ambassadors, and 
• To represent their peers when expressing ways to improve life at Pathfinder Village.

Council Rock is advised by the Kennedy-Willis Center on  Down Syndrome staff in planning and implementing its outreach activities.