Building a Perpetual Motion Machine

Retirement and estate planning when you are a family with a child with special needs is a little different.  Our friend Frank described it really well.  Frank said that it isn’t just about figuring out how to not run out of money during your life.  When you have one of these kiddos, you have to figure out how to build a perpetual motion machine that will function for as long as it needs to after you’re gone and provide for, protect and care for your child.

How much that might take financially is really a huge unknown, and is also probably a pretty large number.  And, if you move beyond the finances you have to have people involved who would have the concern and follow-up that you yourself would have if you could be around for your child’s whole life.

That second part is what we’re building now at Ridgeview.  We have a structure to work through the financial issues that doesn’t rely on government or other programs.   It’s about the best shot at a financial perpetual motion machine that we can come up with.  Even that relies on having skilled and caring people making decisions to keep it moving.

That’s where the tribe comes in.  We are currently spending all the time we can with the other families who are serious about Ridgeview.  When our kids move in, which should begin in 2019, they will already be good friends with lots of great shared experiences.  I know my son is getting excited about it.

As part of that, the group of parents and the families involved are also becoming good friends.  This is a project that will span generations, so we are taking the opportunities as they come to all get to know and be comfortable that we have similar visions of what we want to see happen at Ridgeview.  We are, after all, the team tasked to make it happen.  That team, as we spend time at it, really becomes a tribe when it come to our kids at Ridgeview.   The siblings and other extended family of the residents will probably be involved at some point so it is great if they’re not strangers and best if they’re friends.

Already this tribe building is working to expand the horizons of our kids as they get together and we do things socially they wouldn’t have done on their own.  Recently, we’ve toured the Rocky Reach dam, ridden go-karts, gone bowling a few times and visited the Hydroplane museum.  And, we’re getting some folks together for the unique way the town of Chelan celebrates Halloween.

It takes time to build a tribe, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a good time!  A strong tribe is a big part of the perpetual motion machine we are putting together.  If it sounds like fun, we do still have at least one spot open….

 

 

It is called a “Shared Living Solution”

Back when we started working on Ridgeview Place, there wasn’t a term that was in use in the industry serving adults with developmental disabilities to describe the type of living situation we were creating.  Now, there is a term.  “Shared Living” or “Shared Living Solutions” is the term used to describe how Ridgeview Place works.

It is where a group of individuals live together, and either own or pay rent on, their home.  The arrangement usually involves a total of 2 to 4 people.  They may receive instruction and support delivered by contracted service providers. Individuals pay their own rent, food, and other personal expenses.  This is a different type of arrangement than a group home or adult home.  You can see the way DSHS categorizes things here.

There can be significant advantages for Shared Living arrangements.  Partners4Housing (partners4housing.com) is working to help create Shared Living arrangements in the Puget Sound area and has an assessment and roommate matching tool as part of their process to getting successful Shared Living homes operating.

Ridgeview Chelan is not as far outside of the mainstream as it was when we started.  Shared Living arrangements can have lots of advantages.  When coupled with the Social Entrepreneurship of Ridgeview Place, most all of the concerns about creating an integrated, sustainable and stable home for adults with disabilities are addressed.

Why Chelan for the Adult with Developmental Disabilities in your life?

Today my son reminded me why we moved to Chelan in the first place.  Yes, the spectacular scenery, 50+ mile long lake, recreational opportunities and sunny climate are all a bonus, but they aren’t the reason we moved to Lake Chelan.

We lived in the Everett/Mukilteo area before we moved to Chelan over a dozen years ago.  Our lives were set up pretty well, even though there were traffic and crowds, our commutes were on side streets and about 10 minutes.  We had beautiful views, things to do, lots of friends and a great life there.

But it wasn’t ideal for our son, Turner.  Schools were an issue.  He was bullied and mistreated at school.  The schools weren’t interested in working with the way he learned and to get what we needed would take an adversarial approach.

But the problems went further than the schools.  The area was populous enough, that anonymity was the rule so most people ignored our son, or worse were rude, would take advantage of him or bully him.  Certainly not everybody was like that, but it was not uncommon.

Turner needed a better world to explore.  So, we upended our lives and moved to Chelan.  And, it was WORTH IT!  Just because Turner is on the spectrum doesn’t mean he isn’t social.  Of course he’s a social being!

Chelan has the small town environment we were seeking.  While Turner doesn’t know everybody in town, he knows most of them.  He’s a celebrity in town, who is valued for his quick smile and upbeat attitude.  His enthusiasm and happiness are contagious and people everywhere engage Turner in a positive way.

The environment alone makes Chelan a great place for Ridgeview Place.  But, when all that bonus stuff is factored back in, Lake Chelan, the inviting climate, and one of the most popular places in Washington for people to want to be; Chelan is perfect!

Turner gives back to the town too.  Whether it is the Food Bank or the Fire Department, Turner is happy to do whatever he can to help out. Turner fits right in.  It doesn’t take effort to create an inclusive environment, it just is an inclusive environment when you see the same people all of the time.

Chelan is big enough that there are things going on too.  Turner participates in Special Olympics, loves to bowl, has learned to play guitar and has bands he can play with.  Most every excavation company in town is friends with him.

Anonymity doesn’t exist in Chelan, at least not for long.  The first night we moved into our new home in Chelan years ago, Turner had a melt down.  He was screaming and rightfully a neighbor was concerned and called the police.  So, we got to know the police right away.  The interaction was great and Turner is now on a friendly, first-name basis with the first responders in the area.

When thinking of a place that your family member with a developmental disability can thrive, it takes not only a great home and work environment, but a community that will embrace and support them.  So, if you come to check out Ridgeview Place, spend some time checking out the town as well.

As for us, tomorrow is the annual St Patrick’s day Dog Parade.  Everybody knows Turner loves dogs.  He will be busy saying hello to his human and canine friends, and then probably ride with his buddies in one of the Fire Engines.  Half of the town participates in the two-block long parade and the other half cheers them on!  Have a great weekend, we will!

 

Here we are in October!

We are now operating the vocational part of the project in the shop building, have hired a house parent, irrigation for the vineyard is in place and here are the latest photos of the home:

Drone photos of Ridgeview
Ridgeview the Lake and the City of Chelan
Views of Chelan Butte!
One more showing the location, both close to town and having some room!
Welcome Home!
Relax on the deck
Front View of the Home
East side of the home
A short commute to the office…
A really great room!!
And, there’s more!
Spacious and social
The view of Chelan Butte!
Large pantry with fridge and freezer.
The Media/Video Game Room!
Cubbies for bins with gloves, boots, hats, etc. on the way to the laundry room. The row of coat hooks across from them are yet to be installed.
Laundry with storage and a couple each washers and dryers.

 

There is a wash sink too.
Yes, there is a hallway.
Each Owner/Resident room has its own bathroom, walk in closet, desk area, sitting area and television connection.
Another angle on the Owner/Resident room.
There are two options for floors and tile work in the Owner/Resident Bathrooms.
The showers are low entry so they can be converted for assisted wheelchair use and headers for rails are already in the walls.
An Owner’s closet.
The other tile/floor choice. Header for rails are around the toilets too.
Resident shower tile with low entry shower. Converts for assisted wheelchair use.
Light, bright and tall ceilings in the House Parent quarters
Entry and desk areas for House Parents quarters
House Parent living and deck entrance
House Parent quarters sinks
Walk-in closet for House Parents
Part of House Parent quarters
Guest rooms, with bathrooms, for visitors, guests, family, etc.
There are 2 guest rooms for visiting family, interns, or invited guests.
The yet to be outfitted with equipment workout room.
So guests, visiting family, interns, etc. can do laundry without altering the regular routine.
This leads past the utility room and heated storage rooms to the office
Office and records area for the caregivers, care plans, etc.

On to the next phase…

 

Downhill skiing at Mission Ridge

With construction mostly complete (there is still completion of the shop/office space, paving and landscaping to be done), the next phase of this project begins.  To borrow from DisneyLand, that is simply to make this one of the Happiest Places in the World to live for the residents, caregivers involved and families who participate.

Fortunately, we have some great models on how that can be accomplished with the people we know from other projects.  It is a process though, and one that matures and blooms as we get other families involved!

Building a fun living environment is quite a bit more involved than the construction has been and is a process that really never ends.  But, it is lots of fun!  Getting the community involved and our loved ones involved in the community is part of it.  We have a great start on the vocational part too that helps our folks be actual contributing members of the economy to earn their way.  Planning vacations, day trips, etc. and more!

If you have interest in this project, it is time to express it.  Thanks!

New web site on housing for adults with Autism, Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

The Autism Housing Network‘s goal is “Bringing together the best ideas in housing for adults with autism and 
other intellectual / developmental disabilities.”  That is does a great job of and it includes listings for housing options that are both available now and in building and planning stages.

It is a very well done web site.  Check it out:  http://www.autismhousingnetwork.org/

We’re entering the “Autism Speaks House to Home Prize”

They are offering $50,000 prizes in each of three categories for “belief busting breakthroughs in housing and residential support for people with autism.”

Read about the Autism Speaks House to Home Prize here.

It looks like it takes writing up to about a 10 page entry.  So, why not?

Wish me luck!

A friend asked why my son just doesn’t keep living with us….

We had some friends over for dinner and were chatting about our Ridgeview Place project.  One of them asked my why our son doesn’t just live with us.

It is a good question.  It is certainly something we could do.  We have plenty of room for our son.

So, I explained why our son could have a much different life living more independently and how his transition when we are no longer around would be much easier by living at Ridgeview Place.

This project is about creating a much more fulfilling life than he would have living at home with us, his parents.  It is not just about our son having a place to live when we can no longer care for him.

Ridgeview is about creating a community, basically his own special type of family, to share his life with.  He needs peers in his life to share experiences with, challenge each other and grow together.  The environment we are creating will allow our son to progress without bounds on what he can achieve and become.  That is what we want for our son.  We have seen some great examples of the types of  “family” that this type of home can provide in our research.

It is also about providing meaningful and productive work so our son is a contributing member of society.  We want him to have opportunities to earn the self-esteem that comes from pulling his own weight.

Our son is an integral member of the Lake Chelan community.  He knows and enjoys a broad swath of friends and he spreads his own brand of joy throughout the town.  Ridgeview Place is designed to encourage such a fully integrated approach to life in a community that supports it wholeheartedly.

Sure, like most all special needs parents, we do have concerns about what happens to our son after we are no longer around to, or able to, care for him.  Having to place him in a rush due to a circumstance like failing health would not allow us to be sure we had a stable, happy, sustainable environment for our son.

The bottom line answer to my friend’s question is living at home would limit our son’s life and opportunities to our schedule and abilities.  We want him to experience so much more!

Ridgeview Place is a solution that provides a stable, rewarding and more challenging life in a loving and caring environment well beyond the experience our son would have living at home.  If you have a special needs family member you care deeply about and want to learn more, talk to us about joining us on our journey.