Debbie

541 Days Road, Kingston, ON K7M3R8, CA

The Reclamation Project: The Value of Living Life at the Helm

Stories of life in an institution and the voices that closed them

Debbie

After I graduated from the Mental Retardation Counselor course at Loyalist College, I began working at Prince Edward Heights. My first job was in Area 4, the deaf unit, in the village. Many of the individuals living here had high levels of ability and there was already emphasis in this unit of people moving to group homes. Some people had mental health issues as opposed to intellectual disabilities, some had cerebral palsy and were non-verbal but were highly abled.

I then worked at the PEH school where I assisted people in program skills to help them transition into the community. Agencies came to talk to me about individuals they were taking into the community. I often felt that their questions were merely rote.

When PEH closed, I transferred to Rideau Regional Centre and worked on the lock down behavioural ward assisting approximately 15 individuals, many of whom experienced seizures. The programs on the behaviour unit were run by nurses. Practices of the day included chemical and physical restraints, Crisis Prevention (CPI), and the implementation of Behavioural Support Plans. If there was ever a crisis, a buzzer system was available and 20 people were available to assist. There was a lot of on site professional help.

A typical day for the individuals I supported usually included some form of day programs. They would usually be gone for short periods of time. People thought it was a big thing to get off of the ward. If they exhibited negative behaviours they were sent back to the ward. Everyone was always escorted when they went off the ward. Ward life was like military rule. Everyone had to go places in a large group, all together, at the same time.

People had recreational programs, swimming, a sensory room (Snoezelen room), bowling etc. After supper they usually watched TV. Bedrooms were not locked but people had minimal personal possessions, although they usually had something in their hands to play with.

Meals were delivered from a central kitchen. Some meals were specialized to meet individual requirements, such as ground or pureed food. I didn’t like that food was such a big deal to individuals. It was what most people looked forward to every day. All the wards used to eat together and there would be a lot of stealing of food. On the weekend, individuals could enjoy movies and treats.

Clothing was chosen and put out by staff. People were assisted with their showers, primarily individually, but this depended on staff. The nurse would be there in the morning to discuss appointments or treatments. In their spare time, people could access a fenced in side yard where they could go out to sit or smoke. They were not allowed to hold their own cigarettes and lighters.

It was difficult, with the Behavioural Unit being locked, to assist individuals in fostering relationships with others. The majority of social interaction was with staff. It was overwhelming to support that many people and there were not enough staff for any quality time. I enjoyed giving people human contact and interaction as I felt they needed some maternal contact. I would sit beside them and read a book. There were not many family visits, although there was an overnight room for families to use. Parents usually picked up their children and took them out or home.

Because people lived in such a large group it was difficult to take 2 or 3 people out. There were no outings into the community. Many of the older staff didn’t want to take individuals out and there were rarely any new younger staff. I remember one younger staff coming to work there and I thought she was a breath of fresh air because she would take people out into the community, to ball games and such.

I always felt I had to do what was being done, to pull my weight with the job duties. There was a big emphasis on cleanliness and non-client related tasks and a lot of time was spent on cleaning. It was difficult to improve the physical appearance of the ward because it would often get wrecked by only 2 or 3 of the individuals. Many went without because of a few. Individuals were very clued in to staff expectations. A male voice went farther than a female voice to enforce behaviours.

When the people living on this ward were transitioned to the community, we were not told where they went and we were told to have NO contact with them. Individuals were not asked about where they wanted to live and not much information was sent with them. Primary care counsellors wrote one-page profiles to accompany them. It was felt by the new agency that behavioural problems would go away once people were out of the institution. For some this would be true. Many were moved without prior visits and had no idea where they were going.

During the closure, I volunteered to transport individuals to their new homes. I made 2 trips to Thunder Bay, and some of the people I escorted, I didn’t even know. Placement officers would set up meetings with front line staff to learn about the person and then that placement officer would go to meet with the agency. I assisted 2 individuals to move to Sudbury. One individual wore a helmet because of their biting behaviour. At the new agency, I was asked by a staff why this person wore a helmet as they were not aware of this behaviour. When I took one woman to live in Thunder Bay, her siblings knew nothing about her. It was very difficult for some family members as they knew absolutely nothing about their relative or what they were like. Some people who only spoke English were moved back into their home communities that only spoke French.

I liked working at RRC because I was relieved that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, coming from PEH. When I began working at RRC I met a lot of good staff. Some of them, who had been there for a long time, had a very strong institutional mindset. When the facility closed, many agencies would not hire staff from the institutions. I had good working experiences with staff and I felt appreciated by my coworkers and supervisors. I just didn’t like the sheer numbers of people. The wards were too much a world unto themselves and people could be gossipy and cliquey.

The closure of RRC was emotional. Staff were losing their jobs, residents were moving away. There was a lot of negativity from agency and association managers. We felt like we were always on the defensive. You can’t negate 30 years of a workers life.

I always felt that transitioning to smaller homes was a big improvement for individuals. They had more options, choices and involvement in their every day life. It could have been done better, with pre-visits so individuals could get to know new staff, or staff from the new agency could have done job shadowing to learn about individuals’ behaviours and triggers. Some people were wrongly placed in nursing homes, and this wasn’t fair to anyone moving to or living there.

Before RRC closed, I spent some time on a ward assisting medically fragile individuals who slept in large cribs. They were the last to leave. There was much concern by staff about sending these individuals to live in the community. In the final days, after everyone had moved out, I helped with the remaining inventory and the filing of documents and pictures.