Outward Bound Community Services, LLC

05/11/2026

November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month.

When you hear the word **seizure**, what do you picture?

Many people picture someone falling to the ground and having full-body convulsions.

But seizures don't always look like that.

Depending on the type of seizure, someone might:

• Suddenly stare
• Stop responding
• Appear confused
• Make repetitive movements
• Experience unusual sensations
• Have changes in awareness
• Have movements affecting only part of the body
• Suddenly behave differently for a short period

Focal seizures, for example, can cause changes in awareness, behavior, sensation or movement.

For someone with autism or an intellectual or developmental disability, that creates an important question:

**Is this a behavior, or could something medical be happening?**

If you notice a new, unexplained or repeated pattern, document what happened before, during and afterward and share that information with the person's healthcare provider.

Know when a seizure requires emergency help. Call 911 if a seizure lasts longer than five minutes, another seizure begins soon afterward, the person has difficulty breathing or waking afterward, or the person is injured. A first seizure also requires emergency evaluation.

Behavior is information. Sometimes it's neurological information.

**Resource:** The Epilepsy Foundation provides a free educational guide about recognizing different types of seizures, responding safely, and knowing when emergency assistance is needed.

https://www.epilepsy.com/tools-resources/online-publications/seizure-recognition-and-first-aid

The Epilepsy Foundation also offers a free, shareable seizure first aid poster that families, caregivers, schools and direct support professionals can save or print.

https://www.epilepsy.com/tools-resources/online-publications/seizure-first-aid-poster-english

This 8 ½ x 11 poster contains first aid information in English for managing seizures and when to call for help.

04/11/2026

🏡 Calling all home-based businesses in Southern Indiana!

One of the biggest groups to say YES to Explore Charlestown so far? Home-based vendors and small local business owners!

We've got one of the area's favorite sourdough bakers, a maker of natural skincare and cleaning products, a vendor with goodies for your dogs, a local lawn care business, and an independent insurance broker. We're so excited to see these businesses featured alongside names like Norton Healthcare, LifeSpring Health Systems, and our Featured Sponsor, Forest Edge Apartments!

We already have at least 15 participating businesses and organizations, and we're hoping to reach 20 or more by the end of the week! Many more businesses have joined, but we don't want to give away all the surprises just yet! 😉

Here's the thing about running a business from home.

You don't have a storefront for people to drive past. Not everyone uses social media, and when someone searches Google for the products or services you offer, they may never find you.

And winter is coming! Most farmers markets and outdoor vendor markets are wrapping up for the season. So how are you going to stay connected with your regular customers and reach new ones until spring?

That's one of the reasons we created Explore Charlestown!

We're producing a printed community guide with at least 5,000 copies, along with a shareable digital version. Our goal is to get this guide into the hands of local residents, new families moving into the area, and the thousands of visitors who come to Charlestown during Christmas City.

And here's something important: This brochure isn't staying in Charlestown!

We're welcoming businesses, attractions, and sponsors from across Southern Indiana and the Louisville area. As participating businesses share and distribute the guide, we're creating opportunities for everyone involved to reach customers beyond their immediate communities.

You don't have to live or operate your business in Charlestown to participate. If you're a home-based business anywhere in Southern Indiana and you deliver, ship, or serve customers in our area, we'd love to include you!

And unlike a one-day market, this brochure will continue promoting your business throughout the winter and beyond.

✅ Business listings are just $100!

✅ Sponsorship opportunities are also available for businesses wanting additional visibility.

📅 Deadline to reserve your spot: Friday, November 6!

Ready to join us?

📝 Register your business here:
https://forms.gle/oaMb4TRpfszhvEwW6

💳 Pay your $100 listing fee here:
https://bit.ly/4shK5yI

Want to learn more before signing up?

Join us Wednesday, November 4, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Outward Bound Building, 359 Market Street, Charlestown, Indiana.

Event details:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1UaMyBtqbL/

Can't make the meeting? No problem! Email [email protected], and we'll be happy to answer questions or find another time to connect.

This is our first edition of Explore Charlestown, and we're excited about the opportunity to keep growing this project and bringing more of our Southern Indiana business community together.

💙 Know a home-based business that deserves more exposure? Tag them in the comments or share this post!

03/11/2026

We are hosting several upcoming 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀 thanks to our amazing volunteers and chapter program committee 💙

Caring Communities: Guidance for Supporting Survivors of Su***de Loss is a one-hour presentation, available in-person or virtually, designed to provide participants with information, resources, and practical guidance on how to support someone who has experienced a recent loss to su***de. The program is suitable for workplaces and community groups who want to learn how to build more supportive environments for survivors of su***de loss.

Participants will:

✨Understand su***de as a complex health issue
✨Understand the impact of su***de on survivors of su***de loss
✨Learn practical ways to support su***de loss survivors in various settings
✨Become familiar with available resources for su***de loss survivors

Learn more here: https://afsp.org/caringcommunities/ and sign up for one in November. The program is free thanks to the funds raised from our Hoosier Out of the Darkness Walks and Indiana Construction Hike for Hope

🗓 Date: Wednesday, November 4th
⏰ Time: 7:00PM - 8:00PM (Eastern) / 6:00PM - 7:00PM (Central)
💻 Location: Virtual
🔗 Register here: https://afspindianacaringcommunitiesnov4.attendease.com/

🗓 Date: Saturday, November 14th
⏰ Time: 3:00PM - 4:00PM (Eastern)
📍Location: Indianapolis Public Library - Franklin Road Branch
5550 S Franklin Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46239
🔗Register here: https://afspindianacaringcommunitiesnov14.attendease.com/

🗓 Date: Sunday, November 15th
⏰ Time: 2:00PM - 3:00PM
📍Location: Johnson County Public Library - Franklin Branch
401 S. State St., Franklin, IN 46131
🔗Register here: https://afspindianaccnov15.attendease.com/

🗓 Date: Wednesday, November 18th
⏰ Time:5:30PM - 6:45PM
📍Location: Edinburgh Wright Hageman Public Library
119 W Main Cross St., Edinburgh, IN 46124
🔗Register here: https://afspinccnov18.attendease.com/

🗓 Date: Thursday, November 19th
⏰ Time: 3:00PM - 4:00PM (Eastern) / 2:00PM - 3:00PM (Central)
💻 Location: Virtual
🔗Register here: https://afspindianacaringcommunitiesnov19.attendease.com/

03/11/2026

November is National Family Caregivers Month.

For many families of people with disabilities, caregiving doesn't end when a child turns 18.

Parents may spend decades coordinating appointments, medications, transportation, benefits, therapies, school services, Medicaid waivers, direct support staff and everyday care.

And eventually another question becomes important:

**Who will support my family member when I can't?**

Planning doesn't mean expecting something bad to happen.

It can mean making sure someone else knows:

• How the person communicates
• Their medications and medical history
• What makes them anxious or comfortable
• Their routines and preferences
• Who their doctors are
• What benefits and services they receive
• Where important documents are located
• Who should be contacted in an emergency
• What the person wants for their own life

Family caregivers deserve support too.

Respite, asking for help, planning for the future and taking care of your own health aren't failures in caregiving.

They're part of making caregiving sustainable.

**Resource:** The Family Caregiver Alliance maintains a directory of national caregiver resources, including organizations that provide information about respite, financial assistance, caregiving support and long-term planning.

https://www.caregiver.org/resource/national-resources-for-family-caregivers/

Family caregivers can use this handy listing of national organizations to help locate information and support on topics and issues important to them. For state-specific information, please see the Family Caregiver Services by State map and guide. Caregiver/Older Adults Family Caregiver Alliance – ...

02/11/2026

November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month.

When someone already has an intellectual or developmental disability, recognizing dementia can be more complicated.

The question isn't necessarily, “Can this person remember as much as other people their age?”

The better question may be, Has something changed from this person's normal?”

Changes might include:

• Losing skills they previously had
• Needing more help with familiar routines
• Changes in communication
• Getting lost or confused in familiar places
• Changes in sleep
• New difficulty completing familiar tasks
• Changes in personality, mood or behavior
• Changes in walking, balance or coordination

This is especially important for people with Down syndrome. People with Down syndrome have a substantially increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease as they age.

Knowing someone's baseline matters.

When we know how a person typically communicates, moves, remembers, participates and completes everyday activities, we're much more likely to recognize when something has changed.

A new behavior isn't always “just part of their disability.”

Sometimes change is medical information. Changes like these warrant a healthcare evaluation because they can have several possible causes.

**Resource:** The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), explains the connection between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease, including risk factors and what families should know about aging.

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-causes-and-risk-factors/alzheimers-disease-people-down-syndrome

Many, but not all, people with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer's disease when they get older. Learn about the connection between the two and how to participate in research studies exploring this relationship.

29/10/2026

October 29 is World Stroke Day

A stroke is a powerful reminder of something we sometimes forget when we talk about disability: disability can become part of any of our lives at any time.

A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. It can happen suddenly, and recognizing the warning signs can save a life and reduce long-term disability.

Remember F.A.S.T.

F — Face: Is one side of the face drooping?
A — Arms: Is one arm weak or numb?
S — Speech: Is speech slurred, unusual or difficult?
T — Time: Call 911 immediately.

After a stroke, a person may experience changes in movement, speech and communication, vision, memory, thinking, emotions or everyday activities. Some changes may be temporary. Others may become lifelong disabilities. Some are obvious to other people, while others are completely invisible.

Stroke survivors may need rehabilitation, assistive technology, accommodations, communication supports, mobility devices or simply more time to do things differently than they did before.

That’s one reason disability awareness matters to everyone.

The disability community isn’t some separate group of people. Any of us can become disabled through illness, injury, aging or an unexpected event. Accessibility and inclusion aren’t things we create only for “other people.” We are building communities that all of us may need at some point in our lives.

Know the signs. Take action. Support survivors. Build accessible communities.