Effective programs support children in the context of family, and family in the context of community.
Brenda Krause Eheart, Intentional Neighboring Expert
The Peace of Mind Community Model
Sarah's Acres is the first location using a new aging model for special needs families created by Peace of Mind Community LLC. Currently, housing options are limited, especially for those with high support needs.
As parent caregivers age, living at home becomes less feasible. How do we spend quality time with our child if we need to move into assisted living? We need an aging solution for all of us.
- We will all need the same kinds of care.
- We all need community.
- We all need peace of mind.
All the best options together
- Assisted living allows residents to be social and maintain some independence, all while having on-site personal care and other services.
- Cohousing is an intentional, collaborative neighborhood that combines private homes with shared indoor and outdoor spaces designed to support an active and interdependent community life. [source: cohousing.org]
- Eco village provides a healthy outdoor lifestyle, organic food and sustainable energy model. This model allows residents to connect with each other through various tasks on site as well as engage with the community at large.
- Vacation rental retreat allows a broader group of people to enjoy some respite in a setting adapted to their needs.
Why do we need another model?
While there are many great efforts to house those with support needs, there are still people without options. With thousands of people on the waitlist for housing across the United States, we have an opportunity to make a difference.
Focus on the family
What if the entire model centered around the adult with support needs, including opportunities for quality time with family members? More than just a walk around the block or a shopping outing, but everything from an overnight visit to a summer-long stay? What if some housing was full-time for both the parents and their child, aging with support together?
Higher support levels
If you need one-on-one 24/7 care, your options are limited. Most live at home with their parents as caregivers or nursing care coming into the home. This model "works" for a while, but once the parents are also no longer able to live independently, the choices become limited to their child moving in with siblings, a foster family, or institutional care.
Dependable care
Even at home, care is not ideal. Aging parents plus poor caregiver quality and availability have many parents paralyzed in their lives, unable to give their adult child what they need and also unable to live their lives to their fullest.
Safety
Safety drives many parents' fears for housing, especially for their female adult children.
Sexual violence against disabled people is a silent epidemic, often overlooked both within and outside of reproductive health, rights, and justice circles. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 2009–2014 National Crime Victimization Survey, people with disabilities were more than three times more likely than nondisabled people to experience serious violent crime such as rape and sexual assault. In addition, having multiple disabilities can increase a person’s risk of rape and sexual assault, and children with mental health or intellectual disabilities are almost five times more likely than their nondisabled peers to experience sexual abuse. [source: Sexual Violence and the Disability Community - Center for American Progress]