'Some may have surprises': Reviews of homes for disabled adults lead in unexpected directions
CBC
As the Nova Scotia government plans to transition care for adults with disabilities to the community, reviews of the eight large adult residential care facilities are an important way to get the "lay of the land," says the chair of Diverse Abilities Nova Scotia.
"I think government needs to know what's going on, how we're programming and what we're doing," Joyce d'Entremont, the chair of the association that advocates for all eight facilities, said in a recent interview.
"We are the service providers and we have lots of flexibility with what we do. But I do feel that the government, [Department of Community Service], is moving to a completely new way of doing business."
The province has announced its intention to close the eight facilities in favour of small options homes or apartment assisted living.
"I think it's good for them to know the lay of the land before that happens on a bigger scale," d'Entremont said.
A CBC investigation this week revealed the governance and financial review of Riverview Enhanced Living, which is a home for 58 people just outside Bridgewater, turned up some major concerns in early 2021.
The review prompted the minister of community services to suspend the home's licence and place it under the care of an interim administrator.
"The reviews … maybe some may have surprises," d'Entremont acknowledged in a nod to the findings at Riverview.
"I'm not expecting any from my organization."
Since the review, Riverview Enhanced Living has made changes, has a new CEO, reports regularly to the Department of Community Services, and had its licence reissued to its governing board.
Riverview is just one of eight licensed and funded adult residential care facilities for adults with a disability. All are under review.
The Department of Community Services may make the reviews a regular practice, but that hasn't been decided.
"That may very well be the outcome that we may set up a regular schedule," said Maria Medioli, the executive director of the disability support program with DCS.
"We're still getting through the eight facilities. So I think we'll reassess when they're all done," she said.
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