Long-term care can’t support more people with intellectual disabilities without staffing: Barr
Thursday, November 9, 2006 -- Natalie Miller
The current structure and staffing in long-term care can’t appropriately support a potential increase in residents who have intellectual disabilities, says a supportive measures specialist.

As three institutions across the province housing people with intellectual disabilities close, placement in long-term care is an option, among other community placements like group homes or supported living arrangements. While Rosebridge Manor currently has two residents with intellectual disabilities and is able to support their needs, the home doesn’t have the staffing needed to handle a larger population, says Kathy Barr.

“It would be a challenge in long-term care,” says Kathy.

“It’s going to be an awful challenge if we don’t have enough staff and programs to meet their needs. What I’m concerned about the future is the younger population.”

She says in addition to people with intellectual disabilities having different needs than those without intellectual disabilities who live in long-term care, they’re often entering nursing homes at a younger age and with varied interests. Long-term care caters to people who are primarily in their 70s and 80s and designs programs and activities of interest to those generations.

Current programs and activities would not likely meet the social needs of a younger person with an intellectual disability, says Kathy. “We can manage a small number of people,” she says, noting one resident receives assistance from a developmental services worker who comes into the home.

Kathy’s concern is meeting the individuals’ intellectual and social needs, for instance, if one-third of Rosebridge’s population was people with intellectual disabilities.

The topic of aging and intellectual disabilities was the focus of a recent Ottawa conference, attended by representatives from an OMNI sister home, Forest Hill. Forest Hill is the first long-term care home to welcome a resident from the Rideau Regional Centre institution in Smiths Falls since the Province began phasing residents out as a result of the 2004 closure announcement.

Since moving into the Kanata nursing home earlier this year, the senior is thriving in his new environment, life enrichment co-ordinator Carolyn Della Foresta told the OMNIway earlier.

“He’s very social, taking part in one or two activities a day,” she says.

“We’ve seen a lot of positive changes.”

The developmental services agency that provides support to the resident, Total Communication Enterprises, invited Forest Hill to speak at the conference.