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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-05-09, Page 18••" '''• • 44 • 1 • • . • Serving over 24,000 homes in Listowel, Wingham, Mount Milverton, Ariss, Arthur, Drayton, Moorefield., Palmerston, Bloomingdale, Brestatr,'ConeStogo Elmira Heidelberg, Linwood, -Maryhill, St. Olernents, St. Jacobs, Wallenstein, Wellesley and West Montrose. Wednesday, May 9, 1984 Approved homes program 'A stepping stone to the community' Social skilis, basic survival knowledge, the ability to communicate easily with others, almost everyone has these things but probably never gives a thought to how they acquired them. For most people this kind of knowledge comes as a natural offshoot of being brought up within a traditional family unit. Within a family an individual automatically learns to interact with other people, as well as per- sonal 'resonsibilities such as hygiene and doing one's share of the household chores. However for mentally and develop- mentally handicapped people, most of whom have lived in an institution from an early age, these basic skills do not come easy. Learning such skills while hampered .by a mental handicap is difficult enough, but in recent years mental health authorities have come to realize that being confined to an institutional setting can make learning normal behavior even harder, if not im- possible. That is why facilities like the Midwestern Regional Centre, 'located on Hwy. 23 bet- ween Palmerston and Listowel, have such high hopes for community integration programs such as the Approved Boarding Homes (AH) program. Living in an institutional setting, residents have all their basic needs provided and receive the best care possible. It is a safe, easy existence. Unfortunately, if a person has all meals provided, he or she will never learn to cook. li one has assistance to get dressed each day, one will not learn to dress' oneself. Developmentally handicapped people need much more time and much more individual attention to learn to do these things for themselves. With a ratio of one counsellor for every five residents, institutions like Midwestern are unable to provide that kind of individualized care. That is why the emphasis is now on placing residents in community settings and ideally, into independaiitlivig sithations. This is Where apprOvenoras bbinehito the picture. -.Residents are placed with carefully selected families who have volunteered to act as foster families. The residents are not discharged from the centre and centre staff work closely with the foster family. Midwestern's AH program has been operating for 12 years. Joan Shellnutt, a social worker at the centre, and supervisor by Patrick Raftis of the approved homes program, said the program has purposely been kept on a small scale because it requires input from "special people" in the community. Currently Midwestern has 10 residents placed in five approved homes located in Listowel, Palmerston, Newry, Stratford and London. London is a bit out of Midwestern's area but Mrs. Shellnutt said the London home is a special situation as the lady of the house is a former counsellor at Midwestern and wanted to open her home to two of the residents she knew very well. The other families in the program have all contacted the centre on their own initiative, having heard about the program through friends and relatives, said Mrs. Shellnutt. In the past the centre found no need to promote the program, but with the in- creasing emphasis on deinstitutionalization, the provincial Ministry of Community and Social Services recently gave both the go- ahead and the increased funding to expand the program. Many approved home placements are of the long-ternrCvariety. One of the residents in the program has been in the same ap- proved home for nine years. However, Midwestern is also looking for foster families to take residents for shorter, transitional periods, while prepareing for life in a group home. "We would like to see families who would like to be involved on an even more short- term basis," said Mrs. Shellnutt, adding there is a need for families to take care of residents on weekends and holidays, to give _ _approved home parents some time to themselves. Whether interested in long or short-term placements, no one need feel their family is not thkright type to be an approved as au-tn existing bodies in the iikea 'are operated by diversified types of people: "All our families are unique. The parents all have very different parenting skills," said Mrs. Shellnutt. Approved home families are carefully screened before being accepted into the program, a process which takes several months, said Mrs. Shellnutt. Although it is not a simple matter for a • LYNN (RIGHT) enjoys a rug -hooking session with he Mrs. Neabel and her husband Ron were involved w foster parents program before becoming approvedhqi foster mother Alfhild Neabel. h the Children's Aid Society e parents. BRENDA (LEFT) and Isobel help out in the kitchen at the Listowel approved home of Herman air!OdiIIia Hoiterman. Isobel has been living with the Holtermans for nine years and Brenda has been with them for seven. Both young women work at Town and Country Enterprises, in Listowel and Brenda is a candy -striper at the local hospital. family to have its home certified for the program, a visit to any of the existing ap- proved homes leaves one with the Un - pression that for the right type of people, it is well worth the effort. LOVE, UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENCE The Williams family of Palmerston is.a perfect example of how a whole family can become involved in the approved home,§ program. Larry and Linda Williams have three children of their own living at home, all of whom accept the three foster children living with them, Chris, Brian and Daryn, as part of the family and try to include them in many of their activities. The Williams' daughter Tracy has worked at Midwestern both on a volunteer basis and as summer help. Their sons Dean and Dana can both be counted on to look after their foster brothers when the Williams go out. Mrs. Shellnutt said the Williams are very good at working with the "lower func- tioning" residents and spend a lot of time helping them improve their speech, per- sonaygiene\and life skills. Patience is an essential quality in working with these children, said Mrs. Williams. "They need lots of love and un- derstanding," she added. All three of the foster children, as well as Tommy, another Midwestern resident who -• has been visiting the Williams and will eventually move in, are non-verbal. Their main method of communication is through sign language. Brian and Dary classes at Harristti and Chris, who is on ttend sperm spoia1education • LINDA AND LARRY WILLIAMS have been approved home parents for nearly four years. They currently have three foster children in their home and Tommy (left) may soon be moving in as well. Linda and Tommy are shown with the family's two pet Senior u cSchool short-term placement provide a very full life. in preparation fora move to a group home Brenda also has had a proposal of nearer to his natural family, returns to marriage, said Mrs. Shellnutt. She formed a Midwestern daily to attend the vocational close relationship with one of the men at .program there. Town and Country Enterprises which Mrs. Williams said the whole family has resulted in him proposing an engagement. benefited from being in the program. "It'a: Brenda sensibly enough did not rush into very gratifying tosee people grow as they 4p anything, and after talking it over with the MapArdidhones,..,,,,,,,4.,:, .„.-;,i,,,,.'*IterAsMik. 4ovid0 4tu .40410ilght4NOV- ' She also said the foster children Are TV'elP•7''''':•.4hatrimony on hold for a couple of years, known and accepted in the community: ' While remaining friends with her beau. "It makes you feel good to go into a store How many parents must wish their and find that there's always someone who natural -children would put such stock in • knows the boys," she said. . their advice? Mrs Williams grew up in a home where COUNTRY LIFE ' doors were always open to foster children. Privacy is something .unknown to people Her mother and one sister are involved with living in institutions. the AH. program at Huronia Regional Everything from sleeping quarters and Centre,- in Orillia. washroom facilities to recreational ac - The Williams have been involved with the tivities and even parties is shared with other Midwestern AH program almost four years residents of the wards. and Mrs. Williams says, "It's a good way to So for 14 -year-old Lynn, having a birthday engage in a meaningful occupation in your party of her very own was one of the first oWn home. I'm all for approved homes." highlights of moving into the approved home IN PROGRAM 12 YEARS of Ron and Alfhild ( Alfie) Neabel. "Those kids just wound around my Christmas was another new experience. heartstrings," said Odillia Holterman, "When she got her Christmas presents, describing how she felt almost 12 years ago she couldn:t get over the fact they were still while driving a bus taking students to an there the next day," said Mrs. Neabel. Atwood school for developmentally han- On the wards at .Midwestern it is almost dicapped pupils. impossible for residents to have personal Mrs. Holterman and her husband Herman possessions because so many of them cannot had heard about the approved home grasp the concept of ownership. They don't program from another family who had some know not to take what doesn't belong to foster children living with them. The couple, them. 'COnsequently, said Mrs. Shellnutt, at who have four grown children of their own, times like Christmas, presents are given out had some previous experience as foster ' and then later put away for safekeeping. parents for the Children's Aid Society. Since moving to the Newry area poultry Since they joined the, program, ' seven farm managed by the Neabels Lynn has foster children have gone throtigh the been able to collect some personal Holtermans' approved home, Some of them belongings and • "she really takes care of have gone to live in group homes, but there stuff" said Mrs. Neabel. are currently three young women enjoying Lynn attends the Atwood 'school and last the warm family atmosphere found in this September began the experience of catching Listowel home. the school bus each morning,' just like Brenda and Isobel have been living with country children everywhere. the Holtermans for seven and nine years She also has a number of chores to attend respectively. They are graduates of the to around the house. She cleans her own . Atwood school and currently work at Town room, helps gather eggs and get vegtables and Country Enterprises', a sheltered from the garden, along with other usual workshop in Listowel. Marlene, who tasks associated with farm life. , recently joined 'the Holtermans from the Like the ,ictoltermans, then Neabels have Midwestern facilities, also works at Town been foster parents for the Children's Aid and Country. Society, and have handled over 40 children All the three are over 21 and in Isobel's for the CAS. They agree that it is much case, having come to them at the age of 14, harder to work with CAS children because of the Holtermans have enjoyed watching her discipline problems, than it is to be a foster' grow from a cild into a young woman. parent to a mentally retarded child. Like most women their age the three have Lynn's communication skills' are not as boyfriends, three developmentally • han- good as they could be, and the Neabels feel didapped young men who also work at the they have made progress with her speech sheltered workshop and walk them home therapy. each day. "Lynn is a very easy child to look after, In addition to helping Mrs. Holterman but the thing that upsets her the most is with various household chores the women when you don't understand her," said Mrs. are very involved in, and feel part of the Neabel. By reminding Lynn to slow down surrounding community. when she is talking too fast, the Neabels All three 'do some babysitting and enjoy have helped her to attain understandable bowling, camping and swimming. Mrs. speech most of the time. Shellnutt points out that many Midwestern "Our main goal is to help her get some residents who are put into approved homes independence, go to the store by herself, are confused at first by the choice of ways to things like that," said Mr. Neabel. spend their free time. Within the most of the QUALIFICATIONS activities offered are group activities, While Mrs. Shellnutt feels there will planned by the counsellors. always be a need for facilities like Mid - "Deciding what they want to do, and then western for certain types of people, she says going out and doing it, is a very big step for there are many more people who could these people," said Mrs Shellnutt, benefit by a less restrictive living situation. Brenda is a perfect example of the ef- She said the centre is aiming at doubling fectiveness of moving people from in- its approved home placements by the end of stitutions into a family setting. Her job, 1984, which will mean placing 10 more which involves making wedding people in homes by that date. decorations, .knitting and rug hooking and In addition to moving people to approved making walking deliveries to the post office, homes, Mrs. Shellnutt said some Mid her work as a candy -striper at the local western residents could go to a partially - hospital and singing with a church choir, supervised apartment prograrn. kittens: Having a pet is an experience denied handicapped children living in institutions and Mrs. Williams said Tommy was afraid of the kittens at first, but he seems to be getting along, fine with them here. Meanwhile approved homes are the centre's best "stepping stones to the com- munity" and more are needed. They provide a first exposure to many things the rest of us have become accustomed to — telephones, pets, fridges and rooms of our own. The -screening process for prospective approved homes involve several stages. Members, to make sure everyone wm ie • involVed. Letters of -reference are needed Families make several visits tatlie Centre for training -and orientation programs on understanding the handicapped. Also the family must agree to the con- tinued involvement of the foster' child's natural family. Finally the house itself must beinspected by fire and health authorities. Once accepted into the program the family starts by visiting the foster child at the centre. The next step is day visits by the p.trietearelptervaews,Ttitallfamily., foster child to the approved home. These visits are , followed by overnight stays and weekend visits and when everyone is comfortable with each other, the foster child moves in. Even at this point the family receives a lot of support from staff at the centre. Approved home parents are reimbursed the eost. of kohng the child by the government, andthey are also -reimbursed for any•personaLexpenses of the child, such as hair ,cuts and other needs. Payment is -made monthly on a per child, per day basis. Mrs. Shellnutt emphasizes that approved homes are not "money -Making operations" and that "warm, caring 'people" make the best approyed home familieS. Anyone wishing to be involved with the Approved Homes Program, or wanting more information, should contact Joan Shellnutt at the Midwestern Regional Centre. Call 343-2015. • •-•••''' • PREPARING her own lunch for work at Town and Country Enterprises Is one of Mar- lene's responsibilities since moving into the approved horne of Homan and Odillia Holterman, of Listowel. 6.4 . • . .