housing

PHOENIX Magazine article by NCDJ board member Amy Silverman details lack of in-home care options

Posted on July 2, 2019

“Raising Phoenix: Home-Care Woes”

Screen Shot of Phoenix Mag article by Amy Silverman
June 2019 issue of Phoenix Magazine featuring an article by NCDJ board member Amy Silverman. Silverman points out that there are limited in-home care options for people with disabilities in Arizona. [Image: a screen shot of Amy Silverman’s article “Raising Phoenix: Home-Care Woes,” featuring an illustration by Cedric Cummings]
In an article in the June 2019 issue of Phoenix Magazine, NCDJ board member Amy Silverman draws attention to the fact that there aren’t enough resources and support services available in Arizona for families who care at home for loved ones with disabilities. “According to the Arizona Council on Developmental Disabilities, there are 130,000 or so people in that category in Arizona, and almost 90 percent live at home,” Silverman says.

In addition to highlighting the need for better home-care services in the state, the Phoenix Magazine article also highlights Arizona’s failure to investigate the state’s Division of Developmental Disabilities, despite there being scores of formal complaints and well-documented concerns regarding the poor quality of the DDD’s in-home nursing services.

Click here to read Amy Silverman’s Phoenix Magazine article online.

Dorm residents at Columbia clash with officials over assistance animals

Posted on March 26, 2018

Students at Columbia are seeking help from disability rights lawyers to convince university housing officials that multiple assistance animals are a medically required disability accommodation. Olivia Deloian of the Columbia Chronicle interviewed business major Lindsey Barrett who says her therapist prescribed dog companionship to treat symptoms of adjustment disorder. The problem is, Barrett already has an emotional support cat for her severe anxiety disorder, which means she needs new approval from Columbia to house the second animal. Deloian carefully describes her journalism process in contacting Columbia officials to request their side of the disagreement. With Barrett’s help, Deloian also provides a useful explanation of the distinction between emotional support animals and other service animals.

Update to NCDJ award-winning story “Suffering in Secret” reports continued problems

Posted on February 23, 2018

The Chicago Tribune published a followup investigative report to its award-winning story “Suffering in Secret” and unfortunately the promised reforms of Illinois group homes have not materialized. Michael J. Berens, the reporter who co-wrote “Suffering in Secret” with Patricia Callahan, penned the update and highlights several specific problems the group homes failed to correct. The story also features a compelling video interview with Peggy Strong, the mother of a daughter with disabilities whose health improved after being moved from a group home to a large institutional facility. Click here to read the article and click here to watch the video interview.

Living independently next door to your family

Posted on November 13, 2017

An Australian rental property company has created a business model that caters to young adults with intellectual disabilities and their family caregivers helping them learn independence. ” An article on Australian news outlet ABC.net.au explores why the arrangement appeals to certain tenants. “The Kemira model is so new it’s not easy to categorise. It straddles three categories: aged care, independent living, and disability accommodation,” writes journalist Norman Hermant.

Power outages in Florida led to 8 deaths at same nursing home

Posted on September 13, 2017

Officials in Hollywood, Florida have opened multiple criminal investigations into the deaths of 8 nursing home residents who died Wednesday morning from heat exhaustion during an ongoing power outage caused by Hurricane Irma. The New York Times is reporting that “More than three million customers in Florida still lacked power Wednesday, including roughly 160 nursing homes, according to the state’s tracking system.” Hollywood local paper The Sun-Sentinel is reporting 115 other senior residents at the home were evacuated from the overheated facility, but their relatives remain confused about their health status.