What he means is that we don ’ t know what everyone with IDD needs .
Brett Bezio is a spokesperson . He works for the Arizona Department of Economic Security or DES . DES runs the Division of Developmental Disabilities .
Brett said DES knows that the Enhanced Transitional Group Homes are not perfect . He said :
“ While there were aspects of the pilot model that were more successful in providing individuals with an engaging living environment where their needs were supported , the Division continued its work to improve and enhance this service model .”
' Brett said DES is working to make Enhanced Transitional Group Homes better . He said :
“ Using the information and trends that were identified in those initial years , review of models in other states , as well as working with external experts in this field , the Division has created an updated service specification for this type of residential placement setting that it hopes will make the service more effective in the future .”
There are not enough staff to support people with IDD . They do not make enough money . They do not have enough training . This is a problem all over the USA .
A study said 7 out of 10 caregiving companies cannot do everything their clients need .
This problem got worse because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Barbara Merrill runs ANCOR . ANCOR is a group for staff who support people with IDD . She said :
“[ States are ] closing the smaller three- , four-bed group homes and moving people into [ larger ] group homes . And that is going in the wrong , wrong , wrong direction . It ’ s not what we ’ re trying to do as an industry , it ’ s not what we ’ re trying to do as a country .”
This quote means some people with IDD are moving into homes with many other people with IDD .
Many institutions in the USA are closing .
Some people worry about institutions and group homes closing . They think there won ’ t be enough places for people with IDD to live .
The University of Minnesota did a study in 2012 . The study was about families of people with complex needs . The study said :
Families “ often have difficulty in keeping jobs ; can have limited opportunities for socialization friends and family due to social isolation ; may be sleep deprived because their children are up all night ; and may encounter frequent injury such as bites , bruises , hair pulled out of their heads and even broken bones . Even in these crisis situations , families wait for services .”
This quote was written 10 years ago . Families still have these problems today .
Amy Hewitt is the director of the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota . She worked on the study from 2012 .
She remembered a story about a person with IDD who had many staff members .
His staff did not have enough training . They were afraid of him .
She said :
“ The staff would run and hide in the bathroom , in the kitchen , in the staff area . There ’ d be five of them .”
Amy said the man was not part of his community .
She said he stayed at home to exercise :
“ He had an exercise program where he would just walk the perimeter of the inside of his bedroom over and over and over and over .”
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