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JARC page 3
according to Joyce Keller, JARC
executive director.
"Most of our homes are Colo-
nials," she said. "People are start-
ing to have trouble with the
stairs."
The solution can be as easy as
moving a resident to a ranch-
style home. But some snags are
not as easy to fix.
"Our folks get more assistance
than they would in a nursing
home," Ms. Keller explained.
'We're staffed all the time."
When the abilities of JARC
residents progressively decline,
it is not an option to move them
to a nursing home — that would
be a step down, she said.
Ninety people live among the
16 group homes, while JARC
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delicate tablecloth, and a pair of
candlesticks sit poised for light-
ing.
Each resident has a night to
prepare dinner as well as he or
she can, with the help of a JARC
staff member. The residents also
take care of housekeeping and
running the household, to the
fullest extent they can.
But as with all people, aging
can slow them down, and the cost
of caring for them can increase.
The cost of caring for some
JARC residents comes from pub-
lic funds; other residents' needs
are paid for by JARC monies.
While additional needs for a
publicly funded individual are
usually covered by the public sys-
tem, Ms. Keller said, some JARC
residents whose care is paid
for strictly from fund-raised
monies are aging, and JARC
is worried about where the
additional money will come
from to allow those individu-
als to age gracefully.
Another medical issue:
'We have people who take
10-20 medications a day,"
said Ms. Hench. "What hap-
pens when they can't go to
work anymore? How will we
find the resources so they can
retire?"
Ms. Keller gave an exam-
ple: If one person does the
grocery shopping and takes
people to medical appoint-
ments during the day, who
will stay at home with the re-
tired individual?
'We are starting to see a
lot more hospitalization for
serves another 60 people
Ruben
our folks," said Ms. Keller.
who live independently. Domnitc h, "Just like any older person,
72, sa
Some, like Ms. Hertsberg,
[JARC residents become]
live in apartments with he'll ret ire very disoriented. We have to
full-time staff; while oth- some da V. then staff the hospital."
ers receive only occasion-
Hospital employees often
al assistance from JARC.
do not know how to handle de-
Independent living sometimes velopmental disabilities, Ms.
poses more of a problem for ag- Keller said. "Our folks pull out
ing residents, said Ms. Hench. IVs, so medical personnel re-
Those individuals are not staffed strain them." When a meal tray
all the time, so new needs are not is brought some hospital em-
noticed as quickly.
ployees forget to take off the re-
JARC, which currently oper- straints, she noted.
ates at a deficit, was created in
The government used to give
1969 to serve adults over the age JARC money to cover the ex-
of 18 who have developmental pense of additional personnel for
disabilities — mental retarda- its publicly funded hospitalized
tion, sometimes in combination residents, said Ms. Keller, but no
with autism, cerebral palsy or longer does.
epilepsy, Ms. Keller said.
Recently, JARC's board made
To receive state funding, JARC a family contribution mandato-
is nonsectarian; and 10 percent ry, although the change has yet
of its residents are non-Jewish. to be implemented, Ms. Hench
But all JARC homes have kosher said. Families will be asked to
kitchens and observe Jewish hol- give a sum in accordance with
idays.
their financial ability.
"People with disabilities aren't
Ms. Keller mentioned an up-
a whole lot different than the rest coming "major endowment cam-
of the population," Ms. Keller paign "
said.
Detroiters are good about giv-
In fact, walking into the Berlin ing to annual campaigns, she
Home on a Friday afternoon feels said, but there are a lot of Jewish
and smells like any other Jewish agencies competing for those
home preparing for Shabbat. funds.
Chicken is baking in the oven,
'We're hoping that a real strong
and everyone is home. The din- and successful endowment cam-
ing room table is covered with a paign will give us a leg up."
r i e