Relationships and Interactions

Caregivers reported infrequent family visits and low response rates when contacted by staff. One employee said that caregivers worried when residents left the institution over the weekend and wondered whether they would return. Staff members reported that when residents came back from visits home, they often showed signs of physical and emotional abuse. Staff members also stated parents did not abide by suggested care plans when their children visited home, and that many residents returned to the institution having forgotten skills they had learned. One staff member commented, “Children come back to the institution after the weekend as if they were new residents who need to be taught everything all over again.” Caregivers described a higher level of aggression among residents who returned from visiting their homes over the weekends, stating that parents modeled “bad behavior”. Caregivers also reported instances of children refusing to return home because their parents forced them to work. 

None of the interviewed parents reported receiving any form of counselling or training from social workers or other specialized personnel on how to care for their children with disabilities when they were visiting home. All three of the interviewed parents reported that their children came home every weekend. The interviewed parents all cited the importance of the education their children were getting at the institution, and one mentioned not wanting to interfere with the institution’s educational system as a reason for not visiting more. 

Caregivers said that they were trying to form a parents’ council to enable parents to share success stories and tips with each other. They described how some parents had poor communication with their children, while others were always in contact and frequently asked questions about their children. On average, active parents communicated with the caregivers every week or two; inactive parents did not contact them and only visited the institution when it provided transportation.