R Place's Story

R Place Duarte was started by us, Pam and Bob Risinger, as a home where our son, Garrett, who suffered an ABI in 2000, could live.  Since his injury, Garrett has required full-time assisted care, and we, his parents, have been his sole caregivers.

But as we aged and the physical demands of continued assisted care became more challenging, we needed a plan for his future. We could not find a local facility which could provide the particular care required for his injury while allowing him the quality of life he deserved.  The thought of moving Garrett out of our home into the available placements we investigated made us feel guilty.  So we started R Place Duarte for Garrett, and, to help five other brain-injured and their families.  We were inspired and mentored by Ryan's Reach R&R in Tustin, which began the first small group home specializing in brain injury in California and now has opened a 2nd home in that area.  Both of us, Garrett's mom and dad, became trained as administrators, licensed by the State of California to administer a 6 bed home.

Of course, our 20+ years of adjusting to the realities of TBI and our experiences with the brain-injured community provide continuing and often stressful education.  We know all too well that every brain-injured individual struggles to overcome a unique combination of physical and behavioral challenges.  These challenges seriously burden family and caregivers as well.

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R Place Duarte strives to give each resident the loving individualized care he or she deserves.  We want each resident to feel "at home" while being as independent as their condition allows.  R Place offers planned cognitive, physical, and developmental activities to aid in recovery, and encourages participation in outside community programs.  We also encourage family member input and participation with their loved ones.  Nutritious family style meals and snacks can be individualized to meet dietary needs.

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R Place Duarte was renovated to provide a comfortable living space for our residents including: a very large ADA compliant bathroom as well as 3 other full baths and a half bath for residents able to take care of their own needs, a spacious open floor plan, a living room with a big screen TV, our permanent outside walking/exercise bars, a dedicated computer nook, and an accessible laundry area.  The new 250 sq.ft. roofed outdoor patio area entices residents to enjoy their activities outdoors. The home is located in a quiet residential area within easy walking distance of two parks and a paved community walking trail, and is close to the junction of the 605 and 210 Freeways, Our location eases travel to medical appointments and community programs, while family find R Place Duarte convenient to visit.

High Hopes Head Injury Program in Irvine, CA, started in 1975, was the first non-profit charitable brain-injury rehabilitation program in the country and is dedicated to helping the brain-injured community to recover their lives. Garrett has benefitted from participation with the High Hopes Injury Program and this program is one of the community programs  we highly recommend.

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