How Would YOU Want to be Treated? Developmental Disabilities and Compassionate Care
In my career in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) field, I have often heard staff, supervisors and administrators ask, “How would I feel if I were being cared for by this agency?”, or, “Would I want my loved one to be served by this agency?” Unfortunately, the answer has not always been “yes.” Often, the question has been asked within the context of negative interactions or experiences with facilities, staff or organizations. But the question remains as relevant as ever. Intellectual and developmental disabilities are brought on by a wide range of issues – many of which are still unknown. While Cerebral Palsy is linked to low oxygen in-utero, and conditions like Down’s Syndrome and the Trisomy grouping are due to chromosomal abnormalities, the causes of increasingly common diagnoses such as Autism, Lennox-Gestalt or Prater Willi are still elusive.
The beautiful, diverse and lively population we serve often is, but could have been any one of us – or any one of our loved ones. It could have been you – or me. And if it was, how would I want to be supported? With dignity, choice, comfort, compassion, and consistency, to name a few. This should keep all of us humble.
At Cheyenne Village (cheyennevillage.org), I’ve heard the question asked more often as a preparatory one. Rather than in hindsight or regret, I hear people asking, “How can we serve this person well (and therefore) how would I feel if I were being cared for?” One of the many privileges of working with this team is getting to see a broad and experienced interdisciplinary team surround a person and their family, learn all they can about the person requesting services, and rally together to give that person the best, most dignified, most comfortable, most compassionate and most consistently excellent life possible. They do it every day. It could have been me – or you – or any one of our loved ones. Without question, the Cheyenne Village team is the one I’d want by my side.
If you’re new to the area, or new to the world of I/DD services, please visit The Resource Exchange (tre.org). We work closely with TRE is the gateway to gaining access to services by adding a waiver to your existing Medicaid insurance.
