Hartwood Foundation Residents enjoy a Friday night out at Applebee's!

Recently, the residents of Belleview enjoyed a fun night out at Applebee's. Sometimes people with disabilities tend to face many obstacles when attempting to eat out at a restaurant. Reading menus, navigating walkways, and drinking from a cup may seem like second nature to many people, but can actually hinder the experience for individuals with special needs. Thank you to Applebee's for making our evening so enjoyable. We love sharing the lively adventures of our residents and DSP with you, our subscribers.

While the winter activities are warm and cozy we look forward to sharing more outdoor pictures in the coming months.

Goodbye winter! Hello spring!

We wish everyone a happy, productive March and start to the spring season!

Celebrating Employee of 4th Quarter, 2023

Kim Dunzo!

In August last year, we celebrated 30 years of sensational service by Direct Support Professional, Kim Dunzo.

Now we are honored to announce that Kim is being recognized as Employee of the 4th quarter!

Kim serves Hartwood as a full time DSP at the Beverly Drive Home. Her dedication, hard work, and exceptional performance have set a remarkable standard for excellence. Her contributions have positively impacted the residents and her coworkers.

She has been a vital part of the staff and we greatly appreciate her continued excellence at this group home!

THANK YOU, KIM!

WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF

THE BEVERLY DRIVE GROUP HOME!

Emily Scott meets with her adviser, Courtney Lloyd, and professors Monica Lepore and Claire Verden before enrolling in a program for students with intellectual disabilities at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. (David Swanson/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)

How Common Is Intellectual Disability Among Adults?

A new study is among the first to estimate the number of adults in the U.S. with intellectual disability, offering policymakers and other stakeholders a snapshot of the need for resources.

Just shy of 1% of adults between the ages of 21 and 41 have intellectual disability, according to findings published recently in the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research.

“Intellectual disability is diagnosed in childhood,” said Teal Benevides, an author of the study and an assistant professor at the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University. “It needs to be diagnosed early. It’s not something that just happens in adulthood. So relying on the estimate that’s from childhood surveys is a good start.”

When the researchers aged up estimates based on the current U.S. population, they concluded that there were 818,564 people ranging in age from their early 20s to early 40s living with intellectual disability in this country in 2021, or a prevalence of 0.95%.

Importantly, many adults with intellectual disability are on waiting lists for community-based services and are not receiving necessary supports for housing, employment and much more, Benevides said. In addition, they often face an uncertain future as caregivers age.

“What alarms me is we don’t have sufficient services and supports for adults.” Benevides said. “When people ask for services, support and resources, there’s no place to point them to unless they are children.”

This article was featured in Disability Scoop by Michelle Diament, February 23, 2024

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