Today's edition of The Post has a front page article about Echoing Meadows. Though I have known where Echoing Meadows was located for awhile, I honestly did not know much about what went on there. (I can't say I know a whole lot more after reading the issue of the Post, but that's almost to be expected.) Still, I did learn that most of the people who live at the house have intellectual disabilities--many with mental illness as well--and most will be there for the majority of their lives, though a few do move on to more independent living.
It was encouraging to hear the staff talk about "habilitation" instead of "rehabilitation," primarily because it means they are conscious of and discussing the needs of the people they are helping. I'm not sure the terms themselves matter as much as the awareness of need. It was also good to hear about the bonds formed between staff and residents; in residential settings it sometimes seems like there is little connection between residents and staff, which can lead to abuses. I was a bit concerned when the article reported that occasionally staff would have a resident over for a holiday or take them out for a movie or show on a day off. Alternately, the article portrays the place as a professional but informal facility, so in that context this might seem more normal. The only troubling issue with the article itself was that the author kept alternating between the terms "residents" and "patients." I have no idea why she was using the term "patients," beyond an ignorance of the social work field. Where some people might consider them "clients", the term "residents" is both accurate and dignified.
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