Caledonia Argus

Original ìgroup homeî closes after 23 years

Posted: 3/4/03

Two original residents of ìThe Group Homeî at 109 Winnebago Street said their goodbyes last month to the building that had been their home for the last 23 years. But it wasnít really a sad occasion; the closing of the home represents a change in philosophy about how the developmentally disabled are treated and what kind of home environment is best.

Janice Nelson, who is in her late 50s, and Mike Schiltz, 44, were both residents of regional treatment facilities before the Houston County Group Home was opened in 1980.

The effort to build the group home was led by Don and Lavona Meiners, themselves parents of a child with special needs. They had seen the need for residential services for adults, and were looking ahead to the day when their daughter would benefit from such a facility.

For many years, Houston County Group Homes was both a building and an organization, at least in most peopleís minds. The group home opened with 13 residents and there were only three employees on duty at a time. The first director was Denny Theede.

ìEvery night was a banquet,î recalled Mary Pieper, who started with Houston County Group Homes in its early stages. She continues to work for the agency which is now known as ABLE, which stands for A Brighter Living Experience.

She noted that in those years, many of the residents did not work. Those that did were employed by the Developmental Achievement Center (DAC), or Woodland Industries, which was located in the lower level.

Gradually, there was a shift from group homes (known as Intermediate Care Facilities or ICFs) to smaller homes with fewer residents. At the same time, employment opportunities for the developmentally disabled began to expand. Wade Welper, who is executive director of ABLE, noted that there have been no new ICFs opened in Minnesota for at least nine years. ABLE still operates two in the county, one in La Crescent with 15 residents and one in Houston with six. In addition, it owns or rents 14 private homes in which two to four individuals reside.

In its 23 years of operation, 109 Winnebago was home to 35 individuals. Many residents learned skills there that allowed them to move on to more independent living situations.

In the early 1990s, the state encouraged the closing of ICFs in favor of smaller homes which would have no more than four residents. But the challenge was that people could not move out of the homes unless the bed was permanently closed. Since it wasnít financially feasible to operate with less than a full census, the group home continued to operate.

A decision to take the final step to get residents into their own homes was made in late 1999. ABLE closed the facility as an ICF and obtained waivers, which represent a different funding source, for all 13 residents. The group home was still home to six people, although it was not an ICF facility any more. The residence was converted to two apartments, which were home to a six developmentally disabled adults. When one person decided to move out, a decision was made to sell the 8 bedroom, 5,600 sq. ft. facility.

While there were good times at the group home and a lot of excellent care was given there, the presence of the home led to some misconceptions among community members.

ìPeople thought everyone who received services lived at the group home,î said Pieper. ìWe want homes that are homes.î The staff that worked at the former group home is probably more nostalgic than the residents about its sale, said Mary. Many are still employed at ABLE. In fact, Sharon Corcoran, who was one of the original employees of the group home, has worked every other weekend for the past 23 years. About 70 percent of the employees who worked at 109 Winnebago were there for 10 years or more.

Jean Schiltz, whose son Mike was one of the first and last residents of the home, said ìWhen Mike came home from Faribault, we never dreamed he would be able to live and work in the community.î

Now, he has a job and a home on Vista Drive which he shares with a roommate. It wasnít easy getting Mike to move, since he enjoys the familiar and routine. They took him for visits to his new home, and then had him stay for supper. They put some pictures from his room at the group home on the wall, and then moved his chair, and then his bed, into his new home.

ìHeís adjusted well to his new surroundings,î Pieper remarked.

Janiceís roommates are both people she knew from the group home, and wither her outgoing personality, she was enthusiastic about her move to a home on Grove Street.

Welper said that ABLE works with the client, his or her parents, its own staff and a case manager or social worker from the human services department to determine what living situation would work best for the client.

The home at 109 Winnebago was sold shortly after it went on the market to Daryl and Diane Vonderohe, who plan on using it as a private residence.

The closing of the former group home should be seen as a move in the right direction for people with disabilities, said Welper.

Having a home of oneís own is a dream that many people have, including those people with developmental disabilities, Welper noted.

ìThey have dreams like the rest of us, and just want those dreams to come true,î he said.

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