Community Living: A Healthy Society

Community living or community residential programs are supports for people with disabilities so that they can live full safe lives in communities, and are supported in ways that meet their unique needs and desires.  St. Amant center located in Manitoba, provides institutionalized care and treatment, but also has a community living program to assist people with disabilities who are able to live more independently.  On the St. Amant website they state their philosophy for their community living program: “In keeping with the Mission and values of St.Amant, the Community Residential Program provides services and supports in a manner that creates an environment that promotes respect, independence, personal responsibility, self-determination, community participation and integration, self and system advocacy, and healthy relationships and lifestyles.”

According to Mullaly(2007) a social democratic viewpoint would say that if some people have more resources they also have more freedom to control the conditions of their life, this also means some people have less control in respect to their life conditions. The social democratic position believes that genuine freedom for all can come about through government action. This juxtaposes the neoconservative outlook, which would say that government inaction is a better plan for social problems. (Mullaly,2007).

The first fundamental political belief of social democrats is that the state has a positive role to play in society. (Mullaly, 2007). I believe that the concept of community living, which allows people to be more dependant fits well with the humanitarian aspect of social democracy.  The governments’ role in funding and regulating community living is definitely positive one.

The independent living movement first came to the States in the late 1960’s and by the 1980’s had moved to Canada. This movement continues to be supported by independent living resource centers, and the main goal is to provide supports and services which encourage independence. (Kelly, 2010).  The third fundamental political belief of social democracy also fits with the concept of community living. “The state should encourage broad participatory decision-making in all areas of life.”(Mullaly, 2007). Thanks to our socially democratic society, people with disabilities are encouraged and support to achieve a higher standard of living.

An independent living activist by the name of Heumann once said, “To us, independence does not mean doing physically alone. It means being able to make independent decisions. It is a mind process not contingent upon a “normal body”.” (Akiko et al., 2007). Independence can be understood by three different perspectives:  independence as competence, independence as autonomy, and independence as psychological qualities. Independence of competence includes the possession of certain skills ( physical or cognitive) and abilities (dressing, and cooking).  Independence as autonomy means the ability to manage oneself and environment without outside domination. And finally independence of psychological qualities includes a person’s internal experiences, personal reactions, and mechanisms that account for patterns of behavior. (Akiko et al., 2007).

The community living movement and community residential programs are all concepts which exist because we live in a socially democratic society. The St. Amant website also explains that this assistance: is individualized and seamless, lasts as long as needed, involves a variety of community partners, and is supportive of family needs. My Brother works in one of these community living homes, and my Father is the Executive Director of River Road Place (St. Amant’s residential health care program for persons with developmental disabilities). I have heard a lot about the responsibilities and types of care that are essential to making these homes flourish. One example of how the standard of living in these homes is thriving is the yearly vacations clients are able to take. They have a choice in where they would like to go, as well as a say in the types of activities they would like to do, and sights they want to see. Last summer my brother went with two clients to West Edmonton mall for a week, and this summer he went with one client on a camping trip through the Rocky Mountains.

Quality of life isn’t just about care and treatment it is also one’s ability to make choices and essentially have independence.

References
Kelly, Christine. (2010). The role of mandates/philosophies in shaping interactions between disabled and their support providers. Disability and Society, 25(1), 103-119.

Mullaly, R. (2007). The new structural social work (3rd Ed.). Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Akiko, Tamaru., Mary, McColl., Setsuko, Yamasaki. (2007). Understanding “independence” : Perspectives of occupational therapists. Disability and Rehabilitation: An International, Multidisciplinary Journal,  29(13), 1021-1033.

-Eliza R.