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The Golden Age of Retirement – Creating Inclusive Options for Aging Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. Israel Elwyn.
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The Golden Age of Retirement – Creating Inclusive Options for Aging Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
Israel Elwyn Founded in 1984 at the initiative of the Municipality of Jerusalem and the Government of Israel, Israel Elwyn (IE) was the first program of Elwyn Inc. (USA) outside the United States. A non-profit organization registered in Israel (Amuta), IE today serves more than 1600 children and adults with special needs -- Israeli and Palestinian alike.
Services: • Early Intervention Services • Preschools and Special Education • Residential Services • Supported Living • Occupational Training Centers • Supported Employment • Small Business Development • Vocational Training/Job Placement
The Development of a Retirement Program for Aging Individuals with Special Needs
Consumer Driven: About five years ago, Meir, a nearly sixty-year-old man with developmental disabilities in Israel Elwyn’s occupational training center approached management with a specialized request. He was tired of working, and asked for the opportunity to retire.
Consumer Driven, Con’t: His reasoning: • It was getting harder and harder to sit for long periods of time • His ability to concentrate on work became more difficult • The workplace noise bothered him In short, he wanted a chance to retire, without giving up the social and recreational benefits he found through work.
Needs Assessment: Group Discussions Rehabilitation staff undertook a process of discussions with persons in the occupational training center. The purpose of the interviews was to ascertain if Meir’s expressed need was shared by others. Those indicating such a need were encouraged to discuss this with their case manager.
Needs Assessment cont’d: Individual Discussions Those individuals who expressed an interest were individually interviewed, during which specific content areas were discussed regarding how the individual sees him or herself in a post-work environment. The individual’s needs and preferences were discussed as well as the time, place and content of the proposed retirement program
Statistical Analysis: n = 140
Statistical Analysis cont’d: n = 200
An additional factor in developing the program: An unfortunate, but relevant, fact encountered was the resistance of community senior centers to accepting aging individuals with developmental disabilities
Theoretical Basis: • The project was designed with Heller and Sutton’s means of empowerment of the individual with special needs: • Self-Advocacy • Self determination • Decision making • Self oriented • Problem Solving
Program Development – Supported Employees The model that was created for retirees from supported and competitive employment takes into consideration their desire to remain active as before. These individuals generally were not interested in retirement options within the occupational training center. They preferred to be involved in volunteer options at hospitals, day centers, etc.
Program Development – Supported Employees –Accommodations • 13% of the supported employees are over 50 years-old • These aging individuals with special needs and with intellectual disabilities manifest reduced functioning and productivity, limited concentration ability, difficulties in performing tasks, fatigue and more frequent absences due to health issues • Main support: modifying vocational expectations from the worker, making new accommodations such as less demanding work hours, simpler work tasks, reduced productivity expectations and physical accommodations at the work place
Program Development – Supported Employees –Community Service (Volunteering) • For those workers for whom the accommodations at work were not of value or who wished to discontinue working • These aging individuals with special needs and with intellectual disabilities chose to volunteer at community services such as hospitals, senior centers and preschools. • In this way these individuals were able to continue their community involvement and not resort to a more sheltered environment
Program Development – Workshop Retirees For retirees from the workshop, a model was created which approximated community senior center models, but, for now, within the Occupational Training Center
Program Development – Retiree Program • Creation of a specific retiree group • The group included: • Preparing the group for the transition • Employment of a professional with expertise in the field of seniors • Development of meaningful program content which allows for maintaining skills and developing new ones
Program Development – Examples of Content: • Improving and maintaining interpersonal communication skills • Decision making in day-to-day life • Activities such as exercise, physical therapy, occupational therapy, Shiatsu, arts and crafts, therapeutic gardening, zootherapy, etc.
Day Description: The retirement program operates 5 days per week, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Each retiree has the right to choose, within this framework, how much time he or she wishes to spend there, and in what activities to participate, according to his needs and abilities.
Program structure • Morning meeting • Different activity opportunities • Daily routine • Modest pension • Staff
Program Assessment and Evaluation • Feedback forms including collecting specific comments and quantitative results • Intermediate Assessment • Means of future assessment and evaluation: including research and additional feedback mechanisms
Future Plans: • Opening a community day center • Contact with and intake from senior centers in the community • Expansion of program to additional geographic locations
מרכז יום לגימלאים עם צרכים מיוחדים רחוב בורוכוב, קרית היובל ירושלים DAY CENTER FOR RETIRED PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS BOROCHOV ST. KIRYAT HA-YOVEL , JERUSALEM עירית ירושלים משרד הרווחה קרן שלם המוסד לביטוח לאומי אלווין ישראל אדריכלים ומתכנני ערים סלמה מילסון ארד אבנר סימון Salmah Milson Arad Avner Simon Architects and Urban Planners
תוכנית סביבה- מצב קיים 2 מרכז יום לגמלאים מגורים חצר בית כנסת גן ילדים להריסה מגורים מגורים מגורים
מבטים אקסונומטריים 22 מרכז יום לגימלאים
Future Plans: Senior Center • Located in a residential neighborhood in Jerusalem • Interaction with neighbors (e.g. volunteers, coffee shop) – this neighborhood has two “regular” senior centers with which we hope to have regular interaction • 50 seniors to be served there • Two stories – higher functioning seniors upstairs • Therapy rooms on both floors
Problems and issues encountered during program development • Government recognition: policies, reimbursement rules – fitting the program into existing funding categories • Working with a multitude of government agencies: municipal, government departments for aging and mental retardation as well as the “National Insur. Inst.”
Problems and issues encountered during program development, cont’d: • Dilemma: To begin with an integrated program? To insist on referring individuals to an existing senior center? • The Integration Paradox: It would seem that the more limited the intellectual and physical functioning of the “normal” senior, the less distinctive are the differences with the senior who had a prior intellectual disability. Inclusion here becomes one of individual preference.
Problems and issues encountered during program development, cont’d: • Inclusion as a social process – as with all forms of inclusion, this requires preparation of the environment as well as the individual with special needs • The need for dynamic program development – e.g. the stated preference of some retirees to have some vocational element in their day
Two short films: At leisure – arts and crafts Sample art work of seniors
