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Show DAVIS NEWS JOURNAL 197 North Man Layton, Utah 84041 Phone ft yy NUMBER THIRTY-THR- EE VOLUME SEVENTY 546-473- 5 Published weekly by CUPPER PUBLISHING CO. 544-913- 3 LXL - 546 4735 Second Class Postage Pad at Leyton Utah Subscnpton - 4 50 pet year - Voice Of Davis County NINE John Stahle, Jr Publisher Entered and (USPS 1492-6000- ) 30 PAGES fpai i WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30, 1 983 ii Members of the North Davis Turn Home gave thanks this past Thanksgiving for the first anniversary of the Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center, which has helped them survive despite handicaps. Seated around the table are Robert Brennan, June Thorsted, Michelle Sargent, Debby Hoppe, Sandra Clayton and Robert Heber. The house parents, standing in back, are Steve and Karta Porter. Giving Thanks For Helping The Handicap Lead Normal Lives be the anniversary of the first year of the North Davis Turn By DONETA GATHERUM Home. Many people will grate- Shortly after 3 p.m. on any week day the residents of a modem Clearfield home cated in an upper middle class lo- neighborhood arrive woii. from SANDRA has stuffing material on her levis. She spent her work day filling plush toys. Robbie and Debbie put letter inserts into envelopes. MICHELLE is a member of an assembly line crew. Her speciality is making wedding bells. June, Rolf and Bobbie enter the home about 4 p.m. They work with the other residents at the Pioneer Adult Rehabili- tation Center performing ful jobs that are contracted out to the Center from large private and government industries. THE SEVEN dependent people are hoping to acquire inenough survival skills to be in the live dependent. They spacious. North Davis Turn Group Home with Karla and Steve Porter, house parents. Each group home client is classified as a multiple handicapped adult. This means they suffer from a medical or physical problem in addition to a mental retardation handicap. The progress they make is very use- slow. THIS THANKSGIVING will concept. There are 30 group homes for the retarded in the state of fully celebrate the chance these seven special adults have been given to become individuals with personal goals to achieve, dreams to convert into realities and plans to fulfill. Robbie, Debbie, Michelle, June, Rolf and Bobbie are thankful they can strive for the realization of potential in a free world where the possibilities for growth are boundless. Karla and Steve Porter are just two members of a team of tu John Rogerson, the group home manager, has a MSW degree. He oversees the group home. Phil Shumway is the Director of Project Turn (Teaching Utahs Retarded TURN IS one of several by the Division of Family Services to operate a group home. It is the purpose of Project Turn to promote and enhance the personal worth and dignity of developmentally disabled and mentally retarded indi- Normalization). A nurse consultant helps with medication and nutrition requirements. viduals by providing residential and community services of high quality. These services are based on the principles of WEBER STATE College normalization which simply states that handicapped persons have the right to live and work in the same patterns and field placement students volunteer their help. Members of the Davis County Association for Retarded Citizens (DCARC) contribute much. Community members can invite the group home residents into their home on special occasions or they can bring special programs, treats and activities into the group home. Family members extend their support to the group home patterns which are designed to furtehr social and domestic independence. conditions. devoted professionals and agencies contracted volunteers who want the seven disabled clients to make good. training programs encourage the development of normal life alternative to institutionalization. The individual help and support that can be given to 7 the retarded. There is consistent and constant contact between families We took the clients to football games. At first people at us. Later, they became friendly. At the end of the season, people thanked us. Utah. The majority of group home residents are adults. They suffer from a variety of handicapping These community based conditions that non- handicapped individuals perience. ex- PROJECT TURN services provide training in academic skills, home management, consumer education, health related services and the use of community resources. THERE ARE seven Turn homes in Utah. Besides the government financing that comes through the Division of Family Services, occupants pay a fee based on their earning capacity. Private contributions help. THE NORTH Davis Group Home was purchased and furnished by the DCARC. This it volunteer organizanon-prof- tion with no paid administrators lease the home to Turn. Hundreds of Davis County children have ridden in the annual DCARC Hike-Bik- e to help earn money to purchase the home and the furnishings. Youth involvement with the retarded is an outstanding educational experience. When tolerance is learned at a young age everyone benefits. According to Phil Shumway, a group home is a positive or 8 people is much greater than any large institutional system can offer. Clients in a group home help themselves by working at a regular job outside the home. HOUSEKEEPING chores in the home are done by clients. A handicapped adult can be given the necessary services in a group home for the cost of an institution, Mr. Shumway says. one-thir- d There is a normalization effect in living at home. Training is easier to do. Strengths and weaknesses are evaluated. Programs are set up weekly to raise goals and help each person achieve as much independence as possible. Some goals are as simple as learning to brush teeth or wash hair. Other more advanced goals include keeping drawers clean and making beds each morning. GROUP HOME residents are part of their community. The neighborhood becomes aware of and supportative to and group home residents. The situation in a group home is the same as when any child reaches adulthood and moves from the parental home. Visits with parents are often. Phone calls are many. Families include the retarded person in many outings and vacations. EACH ADULT in the group home receives special programs in the use of leisure time, proper behavior, improvement of interpersonal relationships, involvement with community programs, maintenance of contact with family and friends, improvement of personal health awareness and money management. House parents are the center of any successful group home. They have the direct daily supervision of the clients. Individual attention and care is given when needed. The minor problems of home living are handled immediately by the houseparents. STEVE AND Karla Porter are gifted people. Karla started doing volunteer work with the mentally retarded when she was 12 years old. After gra- They want to help. Getting them to do their best is important. accepted the reading specialist position at Sandndge Junior High School in Roy. She holds down this demanding and fulltime job now in addition to her work as a houseparent. Steve is preparing to receive a degree in physical therapy at Weber State College. Both have had experience working in different institutions for the mentally retarded. Steve was employed at the state hospital in American Fork. Rogerson, Steve and Karla Porter along with the many DCARC volunteers receive duating from college she Credentials are important. Genuine concern and love is vital. THE EXAMPLES of personal commitment to the seven unique Turn home clients are numerous. Karla mentions a few. We took the clients to all the Weber State football games. At first people looked at us. Later they became friendly. At the end of the season, some of the fans came up and thanked us for our t, Karla says. PHIL Shumway, John small but noticable rewards as they constantly assist and care for the Turn home residents. Bobbie cares for his own fish. DEBBIE DIDNT like herself or the group home last year. Now she can smile. Michelle has learned to keep her drawers straight. SANDRA makes her bed each morning. Robbie didnt earn much money working at the Pioneer Center until Steve told him to try harder so he could buy a new pair of shoes. Robbie tripled his wage in one week. He learned he can achieve a goal. JUNE IS becoming a profi- cient cook and kitchen ager. man- sup-por- They love to have us rent videos. TUESDAY is Mutual night. Everyone has to hurry home, eat dinner and get ready to go to Bountiful for Mutual. They are so willing to try. Rolf likes the security of living in a home with his own room and the freedom to walk through the house and yard. THE BEST thing about the home is Karla. She takes care of us. We like Karla and Steve. We are thankful for our home, says Michelle, dmg |