Photos showing persons being assisted in cooking, cleaning and moving furniture.


Deinstitutionalization


In 2005, we chose to add Deinstitutionalization to our list of core services. It’s a very long word that simply refers to the fact that we believe everyone should live in the least restrictive environment. Someone who is able to direct his or her own care and can live in the community, outside of a nursing facility or other institution, should be allowed to do so if that is his or her choice.

Deinstitutionalization can range from simply finding someone in-home care so they can go back to their home they already have in the community to finding someone housing, furniture, transportation, and all other necessities of life so that they can go back to living in the community. We feel it is very important to make sure that someone will be safe and ready to go back to the community, so deinstitutionalization can be a long process for someone who has lived in an institution for a long time. We can teach independent living skills training, advocate for their release with their families or the facility, and assist with all types of needs, such as financial, if necessary to deinstitutionalize someone.

We have worked with nursing facilities and group homes to assess individuals for their capacity to live in the community, but, as with all our other services, consumer choice is very important to us. We do not deinstitutionalize anyone who does not ask us for it. If someone you love needs to be deinstitutionalized, if he or she can call us and request our help, it serves our purpose of this being “independent living” – meaning the person with the disability has the best idea of what is right for him or for her.