Group (Family) Home for Physically Disabled

[WheeledTraveler]

I know this is old and possibly got bumped up in a non-legit way, but because I was thinking about it, another resource might be http://www.newhorizonsvillage.com/ .

New Horizons is an independent living set of homes for adults with physical disabilities. Not only does it sounds to me like it's aimed at people like the young women maroo was discussing, but it also actually was service user planned and started. I read a book about them a few years ago and it was really great from the point of self-advocacy.

 

[Aisling]

My SIL lives in Phoenix, Arizona. She worked for many years in group homes for the mentally disabled. It became stressful for her after a while, so she looked into "fostering" adults with physical disabilities. She has a 5 bedroom home with a finished basement apartment where her sister who is a nurse lives. After going through the legalities, 4 disabled wheelchair-bound adults were placed in her home and she and her sister take care of them. Three of the residents get picked up by a handicap bus service every morning for occupational therapy and for their "jobs" (putting envelopes into an address machine and organizing them for a non-profit organization). The other resident who is too disabled to do that stays at home and receives recreational therapy and a home life.

She loves her work and is doing a great service opening her home to these people who are all living as a family. The state of Arizona finances all medical expenses and any expenses related to the care and comfort of the residents. She earns a decent salary, too.

I'd never heard of "fostering" disabled adults before she went into this line of work.

 

[bushdianee]

There is a place in Omaha, NE called Quality Living that was started up by a group of parents that sounds like what you describing. Each resident has their own "apartment" but have assistants to help them. It has been open for over 10 years now.

 

[maroo]

Thank you guys for bumping this! I have not been on the DIS in a while and I missed it being bumped up...

Just a quick update on Lauren...

She starts college in 2 weeks - 2 weeks from today she will be living on campus at a liberal arts college about 20 min from her house. They have been awesome in getting things together for her and it looks like her needs are going to be met while she is in school.

I won't go into the financial things that have fallen into place, although I will be glad to share them with anyone via PM, if you want to know.

The main awesome thing that feel into place is that Lauren got access to Vocational Rehab PCA hours. She was approved for 16 hours a day of PCA help. She has been interviewing and hiring PCA's for the past month and I think they have a system that is working pretty well for everyone. They don't make much money and I hear that they tend to "turn over" a lot...so the long term is still questionable, I guess...but she now understands how to interview and hire, so that is good.

She will have to provide her own volunteer help 8 hours per day and we are working on a "team" of people who will help her, probably mainly at night. For now it her Mom and I that will take care of this for her.

In the meantime, her doctor has decided that they don't think she actually has cerebral palsy. They are now leaning toward a rare congenital form of muscular dystrophy - but the tests have not come back yet. They are hoping to know something in Sept/Oct. Part of me has always wondered about the diagnosis - especially when they granted her a wish trip (glad they did, as she is now an adult) - I guess this doctor has his doubts, too.

This new diagnosis will affect Lauren's future, obviously - as children with simple CP tend to live well into adulthood. Children with these rare dystrophies that start out as bad as Lauren has, do not, generally, do well long-term.

But the plan is for Lauren to go to college. We are insisting that she take the lightest load possible - 12-14 hours per semester - so she will likely need 5 years to graduate from college and she is planning to go to graduate school in psychology to become a counselor.

At some point, certainly, she will need this group housing and we are still looking for various ways to see about working that out...but we have some time to figure that out.

These responses have helped us to continue looking into this for her future and the future of many other people who are in a similar situation.

 

[letitsnowwhite]

Thank you guys for bumping this! I have not been on the DIS in a while and I missed it being bumped up...

Just a quick update on Lauren...

She starts college in 2 weeks - 2 weeks from today she will be living on campus at a liberal arts college about 20 min from her house. They have been awesome in getting things together for her and it looks like her needs are going to be met while she is in school.

How cool, Maroo! I have read several of your threads, and I always enjoy them.

 

[hambirg]

I just wanted to add that I think this is a very good idea.

I used to drive para-transit (think wheelchair van). The company I drove for brokered with 3 county public transportation systems and also had the VA contract. We had several clients who were younger, and depending on their city, lived in nursing homes or group homes that were mostly for the elderly. I always found it kind of sad. They would complain of not having access to basic things like internet access. There were a few assisted living places that catered to the younger set, but because they were run by *ssh*les, they weren't any place I would ever want one of my loved ones to live.

I think you could do very well with a family style group home just for able minded, physically and or health impaired young adults.

I wish you the best of luck. I don't think it would be much different than a model for a family style group home. . .just targeted and accepting of the population that you speak of. Not that much different than a group home that I picked up at almost everyday. It was a small family styled home for high functioning, Downs boys. They all had jobs and the home was very nice and homey. . .probably much nicer than most people's homes. The staff was wonderful and they led a very normal life with outings. . .bowling, movies, even an occasional night out at a local tavern (it is an age appropriate activity for them and they had the benefit of supervision.)

I have an internet friend that just opened a group home in Georgia and is doing very well. She is an RN, but has been working in real estate for about the last ten years. . .well that tanked and she was looking for something else to do. It took her about a year to get all her Ps and Qs set up, but she is full now and looking to hire more staff.