The goal of this blog is to pressure the Israeli Government to increase funding for the care of the retarded, for the services. The minimum wage attracts weak, unqualified workers for a very difficult job. Salaries must be raised and workers' conditions must improve.
That will be better for the retarded, especially the institutionalized in residential establishments.
For example, in Elwyn, Jerusalem, there is one night shift worker for four wards. Beautiful buildings aren't enough.
Giving the best care and rehabilitation for the severely retarded is a mission, not the job for those barely capable of simple custodial care.
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Why don't you start a Facebook Group about this? If you do then I'll list it on my group which is set up to stop the groups that mock people with Intellectual Disabilities (using the word retarded is demeaning).
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you want help with this.
Combine forces with http://www.bizchut.org.il/eng/
ReplyDeleteI know that I once (with several other mothers) sat down with the head of B'Zcut. She said that they are willing to press for even someone with low-moderate "retardation" to go into "dirah bkehilah" One does not have to settle for a massive institution.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I think that what you are doing is very good. But you really should join up with B'zcut.
I think that rather than settle for better staffing in big institutions (although that may a good first step), we need to push, as in the US and Canada, for small facilities.
When parents (or other gardians) approuch the government for placement for their child (which may be not only because of their non-ability to care for the child, but due to the child not having enough to do at home, the placement can be:
ReplyDelete-big institution
-hostel (also rather big)
-dirah b'kehilah (can be 2 apartments together)
-diur bkehillah
The government has a tendency to put into large settings; it saves them money.
Only in the last option is the resident likely to have much say about his treatment, what to eat for breakfast, etc. B'Zcut is willing to fight for the right of the more severely-disabled to be placed into smaller settings. This is the dirrection, in my opinion, that we have to push for. The large institutions need to be divided up, as was done in America and elsewhere.
HannahJ, thanks for the idea of facebook. I'll have to work on it.
ReplyDeleteJosh, rickismom, b'zchut sounds like a good idea. I trust it's more independent than AKIM.
I have connections to someone too seriously disabled to be in one of the apartments.