The Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-02-28, Page 37B luewater
• • Y
Strom page 18 agriculture office, a 4-11
develop skills which shpw is operated and 4-H
could prepare- 'them for • club mer bers bring their
an opportunity to. work irk livestock to present a
the community. show for the re:sidents.. It
Residents in this develops' showmanship. In
program are working in' the club Members -and
dietary, groundslceeping . provides an •opportunity
and laundry -services.
As programs. at the
Centre have developed,
there has been a decline
in the functional level of
the • residents as more
programs were put on
. , stream for the residents
'who, because of the.
for the residents to be,
exposed to calves, swine
and horses.""
Another form of public
education is `informing
and. ' educating the
members of Huron
County. Council. Mr.
Gregg makes .. a
degree of their handicap, presentation ' to the
-: -are-rro-t 'surta�'e—fay cogncilliors Once—
within-vocational programs. each term of office.
When a resident enters
the Centre, an individual Crestline, a publication
program plan is prepared by the Centre,
de e ,Aped which looks at outlines activiti _at rhe
the full development of centre, programs being
the resident. Basic skills,'developed and introduces
socialization, vocational new staff members. It is
skills and medical ser- circulated among the
vice needs are considered
as well as community
placement. Objectives
are identified and an
individual training plan
for each skill and level of
training is devised. Short
term goals for each
aspect of the training are
also put in place..
Gregg also has a
commitment to public
education and •
development of an
identitj for the Centre in
the community.
The volunteer
association works ac-
tively with residents and
indirectly through ser-
vices offered, by the.
associationsuch as their
antique show and
Christmas bazaar.
An airport for model
airplanes on the grounds
of the Centre provides
entertainment, for the
residents as well as
developing interpersonal
relationships between
members of the coin-
munity and residents at
the Centre. It .also
provides a facility for
those who fly model
airplanes.: It is a form of
soft public education and
allows
exposure for the
community and-" the
residents,.
The Centre has 324
residents and staff at the
Centre and sent to social
service agencies, health
service offices and
parents of residents.
The resident population
at the Centre now is 125
and it will increase to 150
in -April. There are 182
staff members which will
increase to 200 when the
new residents arrive.
When the Goderich
Psychiatric Hospital
cldsed in 1976, there was
community.,concern that
the staff at the, hospital
wogld . { lose their em-
ployment. When the
Bluewater Certtre
opened, 156 of the 159 staff
.transferred with the.
Centr,e., The staff par-
ticipated in a three week
orientation program to
assist • in the transition
from working with
psychiatric patients'. to
developmentally han-
dicapped residents.
The Centre has an open
door policy to the public.
Family.. and friends of the
residents • are permitted
to visit as they •choose.
Times of visits are.
related to the schedule of
the resident just as
people living in the
community ;do not en-
tertain visitors at home
when they are supposed
Page 11
-----acres--an i ---fields have- ta.--be-.at.--w-ork If -a—
been turned into farming
production producing a
crop of, hay to feed the
animals on the model
farm. The Huron, county
junior farmers utilize
some of the property to
support a junior farmer
student during the
summer who runs a
market garden with,
• resident•involvementand
sells the produc.e at a fair
market price.
It is Gregg's theory
that the Centre should
reflect the community
where it is located and
, the Bluewater Centre is
situated in a rural set-
ting.
The landalong the
lakefront is used for an
active camp program
started last summer.
Four insulated equipped
cabins were built and
some 400 residents
pa.,sed through the camp
and all direct care staff
participated in the
program at some time
during the summer. It is
easily accessible to the
Centre but yet, has
atmosphere of being
away from home and
away from it all.
Through the Huron
resident is• not. gainfully ,
involved in a Centre
actyity he is free to have
visitors or. go out with
family and friends.
Vacations are planned for'
the residents- who have
family and; friends they
can visit..
Gregg also 'underlines
the importance of an open
door policy .between the
residents and the ad-
ministration. His office is
always open to residents
who wish to see hire and
Gregg endeavours to
know the residents
personally by name.
Instead of a system of
wards, the layout of the
Centre is_. identified by
houses. Residents live in
Erie House or Huron
house etc. Whenyougoto
visit with. the residents in
a house, you are
welcomed by smiling
faces which come to meet
yoq. The staff endeavour
to provide a home -like
atmosphere and most of
the residents are proud of
their bed and the
the possessions they'display
in their rooms. There is a
spirit of well-being and
happiness throughout the
Centre.
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