live together, but now they would never put more than two or three individuals in one home. “We are on the verge of evolving away from the typical group living supports in Ontario to much smaller individualized living supports, chosen solely by the persons receiving our support,” Larry Palmer says. “That’s one of our main goals. We believe that more individual living supports quality of life, choice, empowerment – and it also eliminates the ‘group home’ stigma that comes from housing too many people in one place.” Individualized living also supports “continuity,” Larry adds, because it results in fewer instances where residents need to be moved into new housing situations in order to meet their specific and evolving needs. That continuity is important, Kathy explains, because “moves can be very stressful for everyone involved – the person moving, the family members, the staff, everybody.” On top of everything else, when there are fewer people living together – and when those people get to pick the people they live with – there is also less conflict, which means less stress for both residents and staff. Ultimately, Kathy says that results in less staff turnover, which is positive for everybody. “So our focus is now on creating situations where the individuals we support can thrive and live their best lives and have a lot choice as to how they spend their time,” she explains. “That means treating them as individuals. It means providing individual housing situations, individual social situations, individual recreational situations.” That shift in focus has proven very successful, Kathy says, and she credits that success to the dedication of their staff members. “All of our accomplishments are a true testament to the staff we have at Camphill Communities Ontario,” she says. “We have some of the most incredible, most passionate staff that you’ll ever find working at any organization. They truly work closely with people on an individual basis, they get to know them as individuals, and they allow them to explore their creativity, allow them to explore their hobbies. They create an environment for the people they support to thrive, and some of those people are living their best lives now.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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