Lousville Life

Apple Patch is a dream decades in the making. In 1988, a group of parents of adults with mental retardation founded Apple Patch to begin planning a safe place where their children could live and work independently. As was fairly standard at the time, it was first envisioned as a place just for them. But as the planners researched the possibilities, they began running across studies demonstrating the benefits of a more inclusive approach. So now the plan, unique in Kentucky and unusual anywhere, calls for a mixed community where adults with and without mental retardation will live and work side by side.

That community is taking shape on a 47-acre site in Oldham County. A mix of single-family homes and apartments, it will also include a community center and a central park. In the summer of 2005, volunteers from around the country helped build the community’s spiritual center, a chapel and memorial garden.

Apple Patch also offers a day program with classes in reading, music, social skills, money management, cooking, and other topics to help adults with mental retardation lead more independent and fulfilling lives.