KW: Yes, the previous NDP government began this process and the current Liberal government has signed on to follow through with ‘Transformation.’ At its most fundamental level, ‘Transformation’ is a process across governments which are really trying to change services for people with disabilities. It aims to provide a more person-directed approach and by person-directed, that means the person who is receiving the support has more of the control over what supports they receive and how they receive them. It’s the driving force or mechanism that has allowed us to basically close down the numerous institutions and bring people back home and move them into their home com- munity in smaller and smaller settings. This is something that is going to occur over time and there have been cer- tainly lots of deadlines met – and deadlines broken – and certainly a lot of work on behalf of the government and on behalf of the community agencies. But it’s not some- thing that anyone can do in a vacuum; I think in order for the services to be available for people in all communities, urban and rural, you also have to have the department of health on board. You need access to numerous resources to support people with various needs, like psychiatric and mental health support, general health practitioners, com- munication specialists, and social workers. Some of these services are difficult for anyone in Nova Scotia to acquire. We still have a long way to go when it comes to access to reliable transportation, education, and physical activity and help. The bottom line is this: The more complex the needs of the individual, the more supports they need within their community to succeed. “Families are very much part of the life of residents. Families are constantly reaching out via Facebook and FaceTime. Just yesterday, I had a conversation with a resident’s sister who was vacationing in Myrtle Beach.” HS: Some options are small options where three to four people are living in a community home. Some options are
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • MAY 2017
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