Abilities is a day program designed and built by Blossom Hill, which has more than a half-century of loving care in Northeast Ohio. Blossom Hill operates four intermediate care facilities (ICFs) for 36 full-time individuals, as well as offering respite care and in-home care services. Each year, Blossom Hill services touch the lives of hundreds of individuals and their families.
Abilities is Blossom Hill’s first day program. Abilities opens up the Blossom Hill mission of love, care, and acceptance to a wider population, with a goal of serving 100 individuals every day within a year of opening.
We designed Abilities to offer nurturing opportunities to individuals across all levels of care, from those with the least to the greatest level of independence. We believe every individual can benefit from a variety of activities, and should be able to take part in them. Opportunities for experiences, peer and community interaction, enrichment … and fun. Each individual’s Abilities experience will be specifically tailored to them, to help them achieve their personal goals for fulfillment. While there is a purpose at the core of every Abilities experience, we also believe that there is nothing wrong … and everything right … with fun for fun’s sake.
There are many day programs where individuals can choose to work and receive pay. We are not a vocational rehabilitation based program. Abilities takes a different approach. Our goal is to offer opportunities for experiences that will enhance overall quality of life, whether providing an outlet for peer socialization, moments of interaction with the wider community, a oneness with nature in our greenhouse, or the pure joy of attending a baseball game. Each activity comes with a degree of choice, as individuals and/or their guardians have a meaningful say in how their Abilities experience and curriculum take shape. We offer; individuals choose.
Every individual has potential, as defined by their own abilities. What we do is meet each individual where they are, accept them and love them for who they are, and tailor services and experiences to maximize the richness, joy, and fulfillment of their lives.
November 2024 Calendar: click here
Our accessible greenhouse and therapeutic garden activities center, located a short trip away on our North Royalton property, is a space where individuals engage in with nature and learn about gardening and growing plants and food. This activity builds skills and teamwork for shared responsibility of maintenance and upkeep of the greenhouse and gardens.
This therapeutic space is place where individuals who are feeling anxious or stressed can separate from others and de-escalate. They will find a calm and safe environment to refocus, destress, and interact with their surroundings. It is an evidence-based approach to managing anxiety and stress, and promotes dignity by addressing the emotional needs of each individual when they are feeling overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of activities.
Sensory rooms have shown positive results in school-aged individuals with developmental disabilities, autism, and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sensory rooms have become a critical tool to help students, and our sensory room serves the same function for day program participants.
Individuals will have ample opportunities to engage in enriching social and skill-building activities that reach into the wider community. Through partnerships with local recreational facilities, senior centers, businesses, and more, we’ve created a community-based model to help ensure that Abilities individuals connect with the people and places around them via organized programs. Click here for calendar.
Music is the language everyone understands. Individuals can listen to many styles of music – and even make their own on a variety of instruments and objects. Live performers soothe, delight, and inspire.
Self-expression, personal development, and practicing fine motor skills all derive from a robust arts and crafts program. Abilities Enrichment Center lets individuals take the lead on their own projects, overseen by an activities director, with compassionate assistance from a staff of caregivers.