My own space

John Niederman, President and CEO, Pathfinder Services, Inc.

Challenge: To provide independent living facilities for seniors and people with disabilities in Huntington, Indiana, that provide support services and safety mechanisms, and still facilitate privacy and independence.



For many years, Pathfinder Services has helped people with physical, developmental, or economic challenges move from large institutions to smaller group homes in Huntington, Indiana. A typical group home provides housing and support services for up to eight residents. More recently, some clients, particularly younger people with disabilities moving from out of family homes, expressed a desire for more privacy and independence than a typical group home could offer.

Pathfinder responded by investigating new housing models. We particularly liked the "motel suite" model, with a sleeping area, bathroom, living area, and kitchenette. Careful financial projections revealed that — because each bathroom had to be fully accessible with a roll-in shower — the kitchenette, which was non-essential, would be cost-prohibitive.

An architect drew up a plan for three, 2000-square-foot fourplexes on land we owned in a residential neighborhood. The design featured the needed common areas and four efficiency-style rooms, each with a fully accessible bathroom, bedroom-area, and room for a loveseat, desk and television. To increase client independence, each efficiency had two doors, one leading to the common area and one to an individual front porch.

The development was designed to accommodate not only persons served through the Medicaid Waiver program for people with disabilities, but also low-income seniors who could not live totally independently or would benefit from on-site support.

The first order of business was financing. Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis supplied $389,000 in Affordable Housing Program funds and NeighborWorks supplied $50,000. This enabled us to break ground on this front-porch community in the summer of 2013.

Once open in May of 2014, we had full occupancy in very short order. Residents were thrilled to have their own space — they could visit with friends and family on their front porch and could come and go through their own outside door. They also enjoyed being able to decorate their efficiency in any way they wanted.

We had to make adjustments along the way. For example, security concerns led to the installation of cameras facing the front door of each unit, so support staff could monitor any problems. In addition, residents requested a larger covered patio area with picnic tables where they could have a party or cookout with friends. We built one with NeighborWorks week funds, a grant from the Pathfinder Services Foundation and volunteer construction labor.

The success of the project spurred us to plan a new development. But as we planned the second independent living complex along the lines of the first, parents and guardians of some clients objected to what they saw as a potentially dangerous level of openness and independence. After discussion with family and guardians, we made the following changes to the new development:

• For added security, outside doors face a garden area with a gazebo and fenced yard. The only doors accessible to the public are doors to the common rooms of each building.

 

• Emergency call buttons are installed in each bathroom for residents to notify staff if they need assistance.

 

• No carpeting. Carpeting added warmth and hominess to the first development, but impeded walkers and wheelchairs and needed frequent cleaning. We installed laminate-look vinyl strips which are attractive, wear well, and can be replaced piecemeal.  

The new units were completed in March of 2016, were rented quickly, and residents as well as family members are very happy with the results. One example is Kurtis, who lived at home with his mother his entire life. Once his mother passed away, Kurtis moved into one of our group homes, but did not always get along with all of his housemates. In addition, his room was very small and his family reported the home had an institutional feel to it.

Both Kurtis and his family are now very happy he has a place to call his own. He can be with friends and housemates in the kitchen and living room, but can also have time to himself whenever he chooses.

Pathfinder is meeting an essential need in the community of those with disabilities, but there are challenges. For example, though there is a consistent demand, there are rental gaps, and Pathfinder suffers financial loss when all units are not rented. If residents move out, we are dependent on the state’s Medicaid Waiver referral process to send us potential residents who can succeed with this level of independence, and those clients have been difficult to identify.

And though we have yet to market the units to senior citizens, we believe it will be difficult to find seniors who will agree to share space with adults with disabilities. Still, Pathfinder continues to work to find solutions for this model because it meets a unique need, and supports our mission of helping those in need to achieve independence, inclusion, and stability.