http://photographyofgrace.com/OrilliaBlog/2009/07/28/back-to-the-huronia-regional-center/ Living life in Orillia - business, leisure, photography, and rants Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:45:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://photographyofgrace.com/OrilliaBlog/2009/07/28/back-to-the-huronia-regional-center/comment-page-1/#comment-512 K Cole Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:08:57 +0000 http://photographyofgrace.com/OrilliaBlog/?p=330#comment-512 I was a student at Georgian in the late 80's and did a rotation at HRC, all I saw were a lot of concerned staff that tried to help each resident become a better person. If that meant holding a spoon to eat, or leading the way from one activity to the next. Residents had a lot of room to learn and were encouraged every day. I did see some staff that had been there for many years (20 +) that were a little hardenend by the long years. They did not stop anyone from doing the little extras to make life good for the residents. Behaviour problems of residents is the same at HRC or in a small group home. In the HRC, staff are trained how to handle this situation, but in small group homes (which I have also worked in), have untrained staff and the turn over rate is high. In HRC, some staff have been there as long as some of the residents and have become friends. In group homes, staff are there one day and gone the next. There are pros and cons to both. Institution life is bad, but so is group home life. I also do not have an answer to the problem. Life on the street in normal homes is not a bed of roses, at least in the HRC, residents were protected from the outside world, and did have more accepting, understanding people that they came in cotact with. I was a student at Georgian in the late 80′s and did a rotation at HRC, all I saw were a lot of concerned staff that tried to help each resident become a better person. If that meant holding a spoon to eat, or leading the way from one activity to the next. Residents had a lot of room to learn and were encouraged every day. I did see some staff that had been there for many years (20 +) that were a little hardenend by the long years. They did not stop anyone from doing the little extras to make life good for the residents. Behaviour problems of residents is the same at HRC or in a small group home. In the HRC, staff are trained how to handle this situation, but in small group homes (which I have also worked in), have untrained staff and the turn over rate is high. In HRC, some staff have been there as long as some of the residents and have become friends. In group homes, staff are there one day and gone the next. There are pros and cons to both. Institution life is bad, but so is group home life. I also do not have an answer to the problem. Life on the street in normal homes is not a bed of roses, at least in the HRC, residents were protected from the outside world, and did have more accepting, understanding people that they came in cotact with.

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