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Group Home Visit in Toronto by Mary Jane Rodgers
On Thursday, April 14, 2005, I visited three group homes in the west end of Toronto. Two were houses and
one was a condominium. These homes are under the Aegis of Montage, a service provider and manager.
One of the Montage staff accompanied my friend, David Pitt and myself.
The first home was across the street from Humber Memorial Hospital. It is a busy area and traffic is
reasonably heavy, partly being due to the hospital being so close. Exteriorly, the house was of average size
with access ramps- a bit shabby looking, but nothing a coat of paint wouldn’t help. It was situated on an
average lot. Interiorly, the first thing I noticed was two pots of dead flowers. Oh... ah I thought- not really
clean. You entered in to the main room with a kitchen and bathroom off it. There were two elevators for
access to bedrooms downstairs. The staff was pleasant and appeared caring. My overall feeling was – it
could be cleaner and there was limited outdoor access. I also don’t like basement bedrooms, although
everyone had his or her bedroom.
The second home was situated in a pleasant neighbourhood but outdoor upkeep was poor. Again, the staff
was pleasant and some had been there for quite some time. The living room was small and there were five
clients in it, with about 2 ½ to 3 feet between them. One individual, a cerebral palsy girl, played with a string
and had run it across her arms to the point where they were notably scarred. They were seriously involved
young people. One girl in a wheelchair who was blind. The only stimulation I saw was the television.
The third place we visited was a condominium set-up. This two-bedroom one was very clean and had a staff
of three and two clients. Our friend from Montage had told us they had bought three condos in the building
and were thinking “it’s the way to go”. The building has a pool, concierge and appeared well run.
Overall, I came home depressed. The houses were far too small and the condo limited. The staff was not of
the caliber we are used to and I am sure their wages are lower. Access to outdoors was poor. Activities
appeared to consist of music therapy and more individualized programs. How often each child went out, I
could not check. It did not appear there was an abundance of group activities. Stimulation within, was
primarily television. Wheelchair movement in all three group homes visited would be a problem. They don’t
have wide hallways and one bathroom I was in was quite small with a tub and no shower.
The clientele was primarily young- 20’s and 30’s. Their families have their own doctors, dentists, etc. Try to
find that now in the community!
Group Home Visit in Toronto by Mary Jane Rodgers
It was not a heartening experience, reinforcing my firm belief that our loved ones are where they belong.
This government wants to stop being primary caregivers and abandon our relatives to inferiority. They just
want us to go away! So stay strong and fight hard!