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Old 06-07-2007, 01:27 AM
 
22 posts, read 90,661 times
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Our family is moving to MA but need some info on which towns provide good special needs services to young adults. Our 22 year old daughter lives with us and likes to go to the gym daily. She needs an assistant for yoga class. Will the park district provide an inclusion aide? In a few years she will need to move into a group home as we get older. Do we need to live in Boston to get services or can we find good support in the suburbs? Any info. will help. How does MASS rank in general for special needs services? Would we get better help from neighboring states: CT, RI, NH, VT? If we moved to a small town like Salem or Marblehead would she be stuck without services?
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Old 06-07-2007, 08:18 AM
 
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I spoke with a relative in Mass. who has a special needs daughter who is 24 and went into a group home a few years ago. This was her reply:

Services are everywhere no matter what town you live in. They need to get involved with the area ARC’s to get the help. I am sorry to say, if she is 22 and not in a group home now it will be extremely difficult to get into one. The sooner the better. Senator Tisei assisted us. His district is Melrose, Malden, Wakefield, Stoneham, Reading and Lynnfield He is pro special needs and helped us greatly. SENATOR RICHARD R. TISEI There is good medical care through Mass Health and Medicare.

Good luck!
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Old 06-07-2007, 01:11 PM
 
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Greenerpastures:

The services here in MA are pretty good. Is your daughter on either SSDI or SSI? Annabelle is correct that it would be good for your daughter to be on Mass Health. Also correct about group homes/residential settings: last I heard, the wait was about 6 months, (and that is not an especially long period of time by residential standards, unfortunately....) With a bit more info, I might be able to suggest more. I do know that Mass Health would allow you to hire a personal care attendant, whom Mass Health would pay an hourly fee approx. $11 (for the yoga, etc.) I think once she is in the state "system" (SSI/SSDI) it opens you up to a whole host of services and options...

Take gentle care.
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Old 06-07-2007, 09:10 PM
 
22 posts, read 90,661 times
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Default June 7th

Thanks for the info. Daughter is on SSI/medicaid in Illinois, but I understand that we will have to reapply in MA. She's MMR, not in a group home because in IL both parents have to be dead before she would be admitted (no joking).

Do all people get placed into group homes following public school in MA?

Our park district pays a local special rec. agency to supply Steph with an aide when she goes to the gym for yoga, etc.

She doesn't work because she hates the nearby sheltered workshop, but can't handle competitive employment like bagging groceries.

After reading the two replies I still have a question. Do we have to live in certain towns?

Several years ago I contacted the ARC of MA trying to get some info and they couldn't help me. Just said there are more services in the bigger cities.
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Old 06-08-2007, 05:03 AM
 
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That is true, bigger towns, more service. Not that smaller towns get different service "rights" it's just that nobody want to drive an extra 10 minutes to provide services... for example, I am eligble for home health aides for my son with autism, except it's hard to find someone willing to venture to our neck of the woods from the agency. The plus side of a small town is the "quaintness" and the family atmosphere you get. They seem to "take care of their own" where you'll get "lost" in the bigger cities.
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Old 06-13-2007, 10:31 PM
 
22 posts, read 90,661 times
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June 7th:
I've called th ARC of MA office and the manager was vague, move here and apply and wait & see.

If you have more specific info, that would be great.

Greenerpastures
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