For 32 years Johanna Steinwender worked in the Bambi House of Lebenshilfe in Neuhaus, 15 years as a manager.
Now she is retiring - and can look back on a great time.
Neuhaus
- When you think of the Bambi house, a woman inevitably comes to mind: Johanna Steinwender.
For 32 years, the Fischbachau resident worked in the curative education facility of the Lebenshilfe in Neuhaus.
First as an assistant, then as a group leader - and finally, since 2006, as a boss.
At the end of August, Steinwender will retire at the age of 67.
In an interview with our newspaper, she explains what she has experienced over the years and how the way we deal with children with disabilities has changed since then.
Ms. Steinwender, you came to Bambi in 1989 as a trained industrial clerk. Would you describe yourself as a career changer?
Johanna Steinwender:
Without a doubt, yes.
At least on paper.
Since the birth of my own children, I knew in my heart that I no longer wanted to go back to the office, but wanted to work with people - ideally with children.
Then I read a job advertisement in the newspaper: “We were looking for a child-loving woman for House Bambi.” So I thought: That's me.
But I wasn't aware that it was about children with handicaps.
A dip in the deep end?
Johanna Steinwender:
And how. I was quite afraid of contact. But the children made it easy for me. I still remember well how during my internship I was entrusted with the task of feeding a young, severely disabled girl the food. I then gave her small pieces of bread with liver pâté. Until the group leader shocked me and pointed out that I should only have given her porridge, otherwise she could suffocate. But the girl ate the bread enthusiastically. It was then that I felt the personality of the children for the first time and noticed that, despite their handicaps, they cannot only be judged on the basis of their care needs. This knowledge then motivated me to take up special education training, which as a single mother was already a challenge.
Since then, a lot has happened in terms of expertise, too, hasn't it?
Johanna Steinwender:
Oh yes, the progress over the past 30 years has been enormous.
When I started, our house was still called the Bambi Children's Home.
From today's perspective, this sounds more like a custody and supply station than a curative educational facility.
In the early days of my work, protection and care for people with disabilities was dominant.
With the right to participation and participation, the understanding of the needs and needs of children has developed significantly.
Is that why it's called House Bambi these days?
Johanna Steinwender:
For me it was important to express the appreciation and respect for life with disabilities and their ability to develop by changing the name to curative educational living facility in 2006.
The focus has long been on individual support anyway.
Today we get a holistic picture of every child and try to understand it in its overall personality.
Also read: Lebenshilfe boss explains how people with disabilities experience the Corona period
That means?
Johanna Steinwender:
We experience everyday life with the children, adapt the educational and therapeutic offers and support them in their development.
Together we look forward to every step, no matter how small.
Even children with disabilities go through all levels of development from newborns to young adults.
So we always ask ourselves whether the behavior is due to the disability, the development phase or the personal character.
So it is necessary to show our children healthy boundaries as well.
Making this distinction also poses a particular challenge for parents.
In what way?
Johanna Steinwender:
Because it requires a process of letting go.
And that although the children on the other hand need support throughout their lives.
Advising and supporting parents in this regard is a very sensitive issue.
Just like the question of whether you want to put your child in an inpatient facility, right?
Johanna Steinwender:
We're talking about a very big step here.
Parents leave the most important things in their lives in strangers' hands.
We try to convey to them that we do not see ourselves as a family substitute, but only as a complement.
Nothing happens without an agreement.
We wouldn't be entitled to that either.
What the parents of children with disabilities achieve deserves the deepest respect and respect.
Especially when it comes to autism or profound developmental disorders.
By the way, the latter is now one of our main clientele.
How do you explain that?
Johanna Steinwender:
One possible theory is that outpatient medical assistance for severe physical disabilities has been greatly expanded in recent years.
In the case of autism, for example, this can hardly be achieved, as these children need complex aids that can only be provided at home with the greatest efforts of the entire family.
The demand for stationary places like the ones we offer is correspondingly high.
Our waiting list is long and every rejection hurts me.
But in order to look after the children appropriately, we had to convert a number of twin rooms into single rooms.
Given the cramped space conditions, this is of course at the expense of space capacity.
But that should relax in the planned new building in Hausham ...
Johanna Steinwender:
Yes and no.
Of course we will have a more relaxed situation here.
Nevertheless, we will probably continue to offer only between 17 and 20 places.
This is simply due to our curative education concept, which we absolutely want to adhere to and in which our almost 60 employees play a major role.
And not just from a technical point of view.
But?
Johanna Steinwender:
The children in the Bambi house need people who are lighthouses.
With fire for their work, but also grounded to withstand difficult situations.
And with the will and courage to keep developing and to try out new approaches.
This is our philosophy.
... which you also exemplified yourself, right?
Johanna Steinwender:
Absolutely.
When I look back, I don't know who benefited more: the children from me or I from the children.
I was allowed to live out all my creativity here, bring in my strength and thus grow with the children, carers and parents.
Basically, my time in the Bambi house was like a lifelong self-therapy for me - with success.
And now you are out of therapy?
Johanna Steinwender:
(laughs) Actually, I would have liked to have actively accompanied the move to the new building.
But the circumstances surrounding the referendum have meant that nothing will come of it.
I will definitely remain connected to Lebenshilfe with its wonderful and highly committed managing director Inga Kockerols.
But from September 6th I'll be gone for the time being: I'll be walking the Way of St. James.
Successor
from Johanna Steinwender as head of Haus Bambi, Erika Guggenmos becomes (report to follow).