In theory, a licensed group home should provide a safe, caring environment for a person with a developmental disability. For an individual whose parents are no longer living or whose parents have their own health issues and are unable to provide care, it is the most prevalent alternative. Some people thrive in this environment, so why take on the day to day responsibilities of caring for a disabled adult?
Read this story : http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/legaltimes/PubArticleLT.jsp?id=1179824708875&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1 that describes the problems in the D.C. group home system.
Read this article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20070217/ai_n18637111 about 3 Colorado group homes that had to be closed.
Read this article about a group home in San Jose : http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/01.12.05/disabled-0502.html
Can things go wrong when a disabled adult lives at home with family and caregivers are paid to come into the home? Yes, they can go wrong. However, with the oversight of family members who care enough to be closely involved, problems can be observed and corrected quickly. It is unrealistic to expect perfection in any model. What can a family do to ensure that the care is the best possible in their own home?
First, look for support staff who have experience in area of the clients greatest need. For V, behaviorial issues have been her biggest obstacle to progress. I always look for someone who has experience with clients who have exhibited similar behaviors and who have a calm disposition, who do not become easily frustrated by these behaviors. I can train other skills, but I can't train the right disposition for this work.
Don't be lazy as an employer. Check the references. If the references don't respond, ask for more references. Recently, I almost hired someone, but thanks to a responsive reference, found out that there was a history of unreliability and decided not to hire the person as a result.
If driving is part of the job, take the time to check the driving record of the individual with the Motor Vehicle Adminstration. Any employer can do this by downloading the form from the MVA website and paying a $9.00 fee for the report. It takes a couple of weeks to get the report back, but is worth the peace of mind.
Don't leave a new employee alone until you and the employee are confident that they can handle the job without support. Drop in frequently, at unexpected times to observe care and interactions between staff and your family member.
Provide ongoing training to support the skills of your staff.
Ask questions every day about how the day went. Give your staff opportunities to ask questions or express concerns, both verbally and in writing.
Keep and attract good staff by paying them at the top of the market and by acknowledging good performance. A thank you from time to time can mean more than an extra dollar an hour. Be responsive to the needs of your staff and don't complain if they need time off for sick children or a vacation. Employees have their own lives and needs and won't remain in a stressful or unappreciative work environment.
Finding and training good staff is time consuming and a lot of work, in addition to expense from the budget to pay staff for the time they are in training. Your family member will benefit from stability in their care and routines if you hire and train carefully and then provide the conditions that make staff want to remain in your employ, even in areas of high employee turnover.
