Shared living helps others gain independence
LaJEANNA “JEANNA” MILLER, left, receives instruction on how to cut a zucchini from Dawn Mahan, shared living provider. Shared living is described as an individualized living arrangement in which adults with developmental challenges can live in a family setting other than with their own biological family. Miller lives with Dawn and her husband, Rodney Mahan, at their Mars Hill home as part of the Central Aroostook ARC program. Miller said she has learned a lot from Mahan in the last two years including “how to take care of a house, how to cook, how to manage money, and how to do the laundry.”
Staff Writer
MARS HILL – LaJeanna “Jeanna” Miller has learned a lot from Dawn Mahan in the last two years.
“Dawn has taught me how to take care of a house, how to cook, how to manage money, and how to do the laundry,” said Miller, who lives with Dawn and her husband, Rodney Mahan, at their Mars Hill home as part of a shared living program through the Central Aroostook ARC.
Shared living is described as an individualized living arrangement in which adults with developmental challenges can live in a family setting other than with their own biological family.
“We started shared living locally about four years ago,” said Don Chapman, director of residential services at Central Aroostook ARC. “It’s a residential service model that the state came up with that’s different compared to regular waiver homes that are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a rotating staff.
“The state wanted a model that was more family-style where an individual with developmental disabilities would move in with a family or an individual into their homes and they would provide that 24/7 care with less structure than a waiver home,” he said. “The goal of shared living is to provide a service that is structured but flexible with a family feel.”
Miller said she enjoys the shared living arrangement.
“I like it,” she said. “We go places like skiing, go for walks, and have been camping. We recently went to a dance and to a birthday party. I like to dance.”
It will be two years in June that Mahan has been a shared living provider.
“I was working for Central Aroostook ARC in one of their homes, and one of my co-workers took one of the consumers out of the home and into her house and was telling me about it,” said Mahan. “I thought, ‘I’ve got a big house with extra bedrooms,’ so I put my name in for it and a few months later they called.
“We were lucky to get Jeanna,” she said. “She likes to do things so we’re always running the roads. Jeanna’s gone from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday. When Jeanna gets home, if we plan a meal together, we cook together. It’s my job to teach her the things she needs to learn to live on her own if she ever wants to.”
Miller works at Aroostook Shredding three days a week and participates in Central Aroostook ARC programming the other two days.
Treska Berube, shared living coordinator at Central Aroostook ARC, said shared living is typically “the last stepping stone before someone moves out into their own apartment.”
“Some of the individuals do not want to go out on their own and prefer being in a family setting,” she said. “They work on different goals and objectives to get to that last stepping stone. The goal is for the individual to gain the independence to be out on their own.”
Miller said she’s happy living with the Mahans and doesn’t want to be anywhere else.
“It’s a little scary at first,” she said, “but I really love it here.”
“I think you’d have to drag her out kicking and screaming,” said Mahan. “She has been comfortable from the day she walked in the door. She’s got a big bedroom, a TV and phone in her room and her own bathroom. She definitely likes it here.”
Among the benefits of the shared living model include:
• Inclusion into the community for people with disabilities.
• Provides both a stable support system and a higher quality of life to the person receiving services. The issue of staff people “revolving” in and out of the person’s life is minimized.
• Can positively impact the staff availability issues now faced by many provider agencies.
• Provides the supervision, training and service quality review needed to assure the system (and the person served) of the highest possible quality of services.
In addition to learning to be more self sufficient, Miller also helps out with regular chores.
“I clean my bathroom, do some vacuuming, laundry, help wash dishes and make my bed,” she said. “I don’t mind doing it; it’s kind of fun.”
Central Aroostook ARC has run advertisements in the local newspaper looking for possible shared living providers. The agency has many potential shared living providers in the St. John Valley.
“In Presque Isle and Caribou, there’s a lack of potential providers,” said Chapman, “but the need is out there. There are a lot of parents that are getting older and their sons and daughters have been living with them for years and years, and eventually those parents will need to find an alternative living arrangement for their children. Shared living is one possibility.
“The key is to match the right provider with the right individual,” he said. “We have initial visits … we may go for a few hours at a time and do lunch or dinner at the provider’s home. Sometimes it’s even an overnighter just to get the individual settled. We’ve been fortunate over the years to make that match.”
Shared living providers receive a stipend from the Home and Community Based Waiver Program to offer the service.
“We’re an oversight agency,” Chapman said, “so the providers are not our employees, but rather independent contractors who get paid a stipend. Though they appreciate the financial compensation, the majority of our providers aren’t in it for the money because this is a life-change for them, as well. You’re bringing someone in your home and you’re responsible to be available 24 hours a day … that’s a big commitment.”
A major component of the shared living arrangement is working to integrate the individual into the community, said Berube.
“We want the individuals we support to be a part of the community. They work on social interactions, group communication and safety skills,” she said.
“We always put the individuals’ needs first,” Chapman said. “Then the team works on developing goals and objectives and work on attaining those goals and increase their independence at the same time. Shared living is an exceptional program. We have 10 individuals that have been placed with families and it’s working really well.”
Mahan said while shared living may not be for everyone, she enjoys the opportunity to mentor Miller.
“It is 24/7 – even on the weekends – but it’s so much fun having Jeanna here,” she said. “However, if something comes up, I can hire someone for respite.”
WORKING TOGETHER to take clothes off the line are, from left: LaJeanna “Jeanna” Miller and Dawn Mahan. Miller lives with Dawn and her husband, Rodney Mahan, in Mars Hill as part of a shared living program through the Central Aroostook ARC. Shared living is described as an individualized living arrangement in which adults with developmental challenges can live in a family setting other than with their own biological family. Officials with Central Aroostook ARC say there’s a lack of potential providers in the Presque Isle and Caribou area though the need is there.
