Question
I live in  Redwood City CA and my sister has been sufering with mental health problems all of her life. She is 42 years old and lived with my mohter, until  my mom died in 2001. Since then she has been in various group homes. The problem is she is with severarily retarded people. While is better off in one sence, since my mon was overly protective, she is not really imporving. She has been diagnosed with mild retartation and she does have some social problems. However, she is in a #4 level home and she is with people that are retarded and have other severe handicaps, such as being blind. She is not progressing and she could do such much better in the right situation. I am frustated because I cannot find the right situation for her. Do you think you can help ?  

Answer
Dear Robert,

Your plight is an all tocommon one; people with disabilities are sometimes lumped together with others in  a group settings as a way to provide services in a more efficient way. the result being that folks are forced to live with people that they have nothing in common with (other than their disability).

One solution which is being used throughout the US is the idea of Adult Foster Care. Called by many other names (enhanced family care, ISO's, home care) these arrangements have proven to be much more desirable, more effective in helping people realize their potential, and even less expensive than traditional staffed settings.

There's not reason why your sister couldn't take advantage of this arrangement.

Here's some info on this:
http://www.fosterparenting.com/foster-care/adult-foster-care.html

Here's what they're doing in South Dakota:
http://www.state.sd.us/dhs/dd/division/adultfc.htm

In California there is a waiver that allows for Medicaid to pay for Adult Foster Care:

HCBS Waiver for Perons w/ DD 0336.90 DD To provide homemaker, home health, respite, day habilitation (prevoc & supported employment) environ mods., skilled nursing, special med. Equip and supplies, Chore, PERS, family training, residential care (adult foster care & assisted living) adult supported living, physician (psychiatric), PT, OT, speech/hearing/language, psychology, RT, communication aids, crisis intervention, vehicle mods., nutritional consult increases the annual unduplicated enrollment limit from 45,094 to 50,754 and update the definitions of nine existing services to persons with
MR/DD and persons with DD who are technology dependent.
(Replaces 0336 which expired 9/30/01)  

I would suugest you contact your local departmnent of social services and request a change in program model.

Let me know if you need more information. I'd be more than happy to help.

Jon Eriquezzo
All-Experts.com

[email protected]