Program change may bring isolation, families of adults with developmental disabilities fear

Some families of people with developmental disabilities say a decision by Community Living Guelph Wellington (CLGW) to end a long-standing group day program will leave their loved ones isolated and lonely, without a regular place to meet up with their friends. 

"I am very concerned," said Deloris Yaskowich, whose daughter, Margaret, has been attending the day program for years.

"Plans can be changed, I think this plan must be changed."

Before the pandemic hit, CLGW ran a day program out of the former Arc Industries building in Guelph, and similar day programs at other locations in Wellington County.

Some, like Margaret Yaskowich, had been going to Arc Industries since it ran a sheltered workshop, where people with disabilities would complete odd jobs for a small stipend.

Sheltered workshops were phased out by the previous provincial government but a day program continued five days a week, offering activities like music, sports and cooking.

But CLGW says its day programs, including the one at Arc Industries, are soon coming to an end.

Although these programs may reopen temporarily when it's safe from a COVID-19 standpoint, the organization's long-term plan is to shut these programs down and move toward a new system of community-based services.

The idea is to give people more choice in how they structure their day, said Debb Young, the organization's service director. 

"They get to say, 'I want to go swimming, and I want to go with my friend, because she also wants to go swimming, and we need a little bit of support from staff in order to make that happen,'" said Young. 

"Having that individualized approach driven by the person and participating in what they want to do is much more value-added for them."

Young said CLGW is still in the planning stages and is working with families to decide what these services will look like going forward.

'She loved every minute'

While that idea might sound good in theory, Peter McCaskell thinks it won't work in practice.

McCaskell's daughter, Kerri, was a regular at Arc before the pandemic. He said there's something special about having a specific place in the city where Kerri and her friends could go and know they would be around people who knew them and understood them.

He worries that special quality will be lost if the day program ends. 

"All of the things they did, and there were such a range of them, she loved every minute of it because she was doing them with the community of people who loved her and accepted her," said McCaskell, who said crafts, hockey games and nature walks were just some of the activities Kerri took part in.

Pauline Busby agreed.

Busby's son, Aidan, attended day programs through CLGW in Guelph and in Fergus. Busby said Aidan is considered non-verbal, and that being around staff and friends helped him to express himself.

"For him, it's the interaction with his community," said Busby. "The other participants and the staff really do understand him and his needs and his ways of communicating."

As a single parent, Busby also relies on the day program to provide a safe place for her son while she's at work. 

"The reality is that parents need to also have a place where they know their children are safe," she said. 

Lynn Lodge's brother, Brian, also started at the program when it was a sheltered workshop and has continued to attend in recent years. 

Lodge said she could see a difference in her brother when he was around friends at Arc.  

"Put him in with a group of his peers, and all of a sudden he comes to life," said Lodge.

Lodge said she, too, wants CLGW to reconsider its plan. 

"Please step back … and say, 'Is this really what they want?'" said Lodge.

New direction

While the group day program worked well for some people, Young said it wasn't ideal for everyone.

Having a large group of people gather in a space, with a few staff available to direct activities, meant that many people didn't get to take part in the programs they wanted, she said. While some people attended programs all day long, others would simply pop into the building for a short visit before leaving for the day. 

Yaskowich agreed that some may prefer the new, more individualized service model. But, she thinks it doesn't make sense to eliminate the day programs when they worked well for many people.

"I know that change is difficult, that people want other things," said Yaskowich. "That's fine. Give them an opportunity to do other things. But at the same time, don't rob the people who enjoy the programs as they are at the moment."

Young said if some families feel they still want to have group activities every day, she said, the organization may team up with other community agencies to make that happen. 

CLGW has already hosted one town hall to discuss the changes with families and a second town hall is set for Thursday.

For now, parents like Yaskowich say they don't want more explanation – they want an assurance that the programs will continue long-term as they have in the past.

"It's difficult enough for our people to be isolated now, but to have no hope at the end of the tunnel is another thing."