Small gifts for four lovely people

Caring for four developmentally and physically disabled adults is demanding, agrees "house parent" Tommy Cavazos as he lifts a smiling man from a wheelchair into a recliner. But he and partner Mary McNulty can't imagine a better job.

A typical day at their busy Solar Drive home begins at 6 a.m. with showers all around -- except for them. Their own morning routines wait until they've gotten the adults in their care showered, dressed, fed and off to their day's activities.

The couple maintains the home for Hope Community Resources Inc. (formerly Hope Cottages), a nonprofit group offering support for Alaskans with developmental disabilities.

The adults who live with them are all in wheelchairs. None communicate in full sentences, and all require special attention and patience.

"We take them out to state fairs, shopping, anyplace anyone else would go," Cavazos says. The way he sees it, their goal is to help those in their care "get the most out of life."

To do that, the caretakers say, it's nice to have a few extras. The adults who live with them have all they need to survive, but a few amenities would enrich their daily lives.

Tim Paniyak, 42, who moved in just a few months ago, has impressed the couple with his ever-present smiles. Paniyak, a Yup'ik, cannot hear due to meningitis when he was a baby. His care was turned over to the state. Though his health is declining, according to legal guardian Donica Mann-Banke, he always seems to be in a good mood.

As the newest resident, Paniyak is the only one without a television in his room. Though deaf, he still enjoys watching colorful moving images, Cavazos says. A working set, even without sound, would please him. Something else nice would be tickets to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. His family rarely visits, Mann-Banke says, and it would be good for Paniyak to meet other Yup'iks.

Housemate Christa Severson, 22, who sits in a wheelchair specially adjusted to accommodate her scoliosis, would love to hear some noise. Christa likes loud sounds and music -- though nothing sad. Tickets to a concert or sports event would make a great day out for her, Cavazos said.

Fred Delaney, 28, likes things much quieter. He often reaches out to visitors, gently guiding their hands to have his head rubbed.

"He's a touchy-feely kind of guy," Cavazos says. What he loves most of all is going out to eat. He perks up especially when he hears the name of his favorite buffet place, the Royal Fork. He would also appreciate a recliner of his own; currently, he shares one with Severson. A bean bag chair for Severson, which would be more appropriate for her condition, say care coordinators, would free up the recliner for him.

Coming up with an "extra" for 36-year-old Linda Barret, who is afflicted with severe cerebral palsy, is a little harder. Everyone who knows her is relieved she is doing so well, explains legal guardian Mann-Banke, who set up this living arrangement after difficulties in another situation. Barret only recently regained the ability to eat normally.

Mann-Banke says physical therapy items -- such as a special spoon and a massager -- would be helpful for Barret; she also likes pretty colors, necklaces, scarves and handbags.

For the whole group, a VCR would be a nice plus. The household also welcomes its Anchorage neighbors for visits.

"They're all lovely people," says caretaker McNulty. "All they want is for people to love them."

Four people

F-1 VCR, $100

F-2 Small television, $100

F-3 Steady spoon, $50

F-4 Vibrating snake, $25

F-5 Bowling ramp, $135

F-6 Hand-held massager, $30

F-7 Tickets to Alaska Native Heritage Center, $42

F-8 Sound effects CDs, $45

F-9 Dinner for six at Royal Fork, $60

F-10 Bean bag chair, $50