Video How John Manages Schizophrenia with Home Care Support

Testimonials > John’s Story

How Home Care Can Help Someone with Schizophrenia Live Independently

Living with schizophrenia can present challenges, but achieving independence is absolutely possible. In this video, John shares his experience with schizophrenia home care and how it’s empowered him to live a fulfilling life on their own terms. You’ll learn how home care services can provide support with daily tasks, medication management, and even social interaction, all while fostering a sense of autonomy. Watch the video below or watch it on YouTube.

Video Testimonial

John’s Story

Schizophrenia home care

Living independently with Schizophrenia

Video Testimonial Overview

My name is John Brenner and this is Taylor Albert, she’s been my helper for going on 2 years.

How is Your Caregiver Helpful?

• She helps me get my medicine ready.
• She cooks my dinners, lunches, and breakfast.
• She also helps me get my grocery list ready for when I go shopping.
• She’s been really, really helpful!

How did you know you needed help?

I knew I needed help when I couldn’t do the things I used to do. Probably when I was around 20 or 21 I needed guidance with everything because my memory was kind of losing touch. With my Schizophrenia episodes, it’s been really hard to do stuff on my own. I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia when I was 18 going on 19. That’s when the shadows started, the voices mumbled. I was a little suicidal when I was 18.

How important is it to choose your own health care provider?

It’s important because I want to feel that I want to be connected and trustworthy with someone. I don’t want a complete stranger coming in and making me uncomfortable and not knowing who it is. So having family and friends who I know and trust has been really helpful.

What do you do together for fun?

Taylor: He really likes diamond paintings.
John: Diamond paintings are like color by numbers but with little diamond studs where you have to put the wax on it to make the diamond studs stick.
Taylor: And with his Schizophrenia it’s hard for him to keep things organized. So we organize alot. We talk about what we’re going to do the next day. We plan meals. He helps while I’m cooking the meals.
John: Oh yes, it’s been really helpful, basically I’m not really good with verbal commands. So the hands on has really helped out alot. Where I can watch her and she’ll have me stir some stuff and add some ingredients.

“It’s just been wonderful!” – John

NOTE: John’s caregiver was provided through the Missouri CDS eligibility and Advantage’s BYOC program. Caregivers do NOT administer medicines, however, Missouri CDS attendants per policies can: Manually assist with medications (i.e., prompting while assisting, opening medi-planner, handing a glass of water, steady the glass of water), so when he said “she helps me get my medicine ready”, he is speaking of her assisting in this way.

Home Care Services for those with Schizophrenia

If you have schizophrenia and need assistance to live independently, check our service areas and contact us to determine if our home care services might work for you.