Prior to this past year, my wife and I had a dream about where our daughter will live and thrive after we are dead and gone. With the new CMS guidelines, the future we perceived is now cloudy. We had always thought that the best environment fir her to live in would be with several of her friends with similar abilities to her. Living alone in her own home would not be appropriate for her. She needs a family. So, living in a home with 2 or 3 other roommates and a house mom would be the best situation for her. And she has expressed to us that she wants to live with her friends.
And we had thought that the services she receives would go with her to her provide her with the supports she needs and will need. But now, we are not sure about this. We hope that the wishes of the individual will be heard as well as the family’s voice. CMS is afraid of seclusion and wants everyone to be included. We have always wanted this, especially in the school years. CMS is fearful of communities that are built just for people with disabilities. But what if that’s the best situation for some. What if living alone is the best for some. What if living with roommates is best for some. There is no one fits all. Our children are each unique and an individual.
We hope that all of these situations will be considered in addressing the needs of our daughter and others.
And the same concerns we have hold true for employment. Of course we all hope to get the job we dream about, but that is not reality. We hope that the employment situation allows for many different kind of employment situations, from owning your own business, to working together with a friend or group of friends in a business to working in a workshop environment or to getting your own supported employment. These are all necessary and meet so many different needs. There is no one solution that will work. We hope that all of these situations and others will be considered as appropriate for each person.
Please add your comments and stories at Coalition for Community Choice.