MITCH STURGEON
Author and Blogger Living With MS
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Although I may appear to have my housing situation well in hand, there is only one thing standing between me and the nursing home — my wife. That’s a lot to put on one person. But maybe it doesn’t have to be that way.
Kim and I met Paul Linet and his wife, Susan, a few years back. He was an attorney working for L.L. Bean. She had been a pediatrician in a former life but was battling advanced multiple sclerosis full-time. Eventually, we lost contact with one another.
Then, in April of this year I received an email from Paul. Susan had passed away, and he had retired. Paul had taken an interest in developing affordable housing for mobility–impaired people affected by MS and other conditions. He asked me to review some of his material.
I looked over Paul’s project, which called for an independent, innovative, and integrated approach. As such, he named the organization 3i Supportive Housing LLC. I took an interest in the idea and made several suggestions for improvement. Not long afterward, Paul asked me to join his Advisory Board. I accepted.
Click here to visit the website or click here for the Facebook page.
There is a deficit of independent housing for physically challenged individuals. We often end up in elderly housing well before our time — only because there is no better place for us to go. Paul’s venture will provide apartment–style housing, designed specifically for those with physical disabilities. In addition to living spaces, the project will offer coordinated access to community services such as personal care assistance, physical therapy, etc.
3i Supportive Housing will not be an institution. It will be home.
Paul is identifying funding sources and potential locations. He still has a long way to go before opening the doors, but Paul is uniquely qualified and supremely motivated to make this happen. We had our first Advisory Board meeting last week. The other members of the Advisory Board are impressive, caring individuals who have expertise in some aspect or another related to the project. I’m grateful that Paul decided to let me play a small part in it.
Are any readers with mobility impairments living in specialized housing — anything other than a private home? If you are, can you leave comments about what type of living arrangement you have, and what are the benefits and drawbacks of your situation? If you’d rather not leave public comments, then email me at email@mitchsturgeon.com.
Thank you so much.
I’ll keep you updated.
10 Replies to “Creative Living Arrangements for the Physically Disabled”
What does iii mean, Mitch?
Roger, iii stands for: independent, innovative, and integrated housing
This creative solution (https://www.thekelsey.org/bayarea) was created for people with intellectual deficiencies. The creators have proposed expanding to include people with mobility limitations.
Dr. Henderson: thank you so much for sharing that link. There is so much crossover between what they are doing and what we hope to do. Are you affiliated with Kelsey?
I am in the same situation, if not for my Husband I would be in an institutional setting. I will be following the progress of this in hopes that other areas of the country also start to see this need. There is a big push in my area for assisted living facilities, with emphasis on elder care, but not the younger disabled person. Affordability of these facilities is a big issue. ALK
Ann, there are a smattering of these facilities throughout the United States and Canada. It seems to be a rising trend. Affordability must be central to any of these projects.
I would love to find out more about this as I also depend on my spouse for home care. What happens to me if something happens to him? Very scary prospect.
Kathleen, I’m sure I’ll be posting about this in the future. You might see it mentioned in local and regional media as well.
We are way younger than the average age of nursing home residents. We are also, generally, way more cognitively intact than the average nursing home resident, though our physical needs can be even more complicated. Some of us, myself included, still have some school aged kids who would suffer if we were not around. I do wish there was an environment which could meet our complex needs, while still allowing our families to live with us. Unfortunately, my experience with healthcare aides who have come to the house has been nothing but horrific and traumatizing.
Sandra, one would think that home care workers would be empathetic by nature. Why else would they be in the profession they are in? But the truth is, their pay is pathetic, so we end up not with the best home care workers, but oftentimes with people who aren’t even suited for that profession. In order for the quality of caregiver to improve, I think we need to increase their pay. But that increase can’t come from disabled people — we are already spending too much for the privilege of being disabled. The entire home care concept needs an overhaul.
“Horrific and traumatizing” says it all. Thanks for writing.
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