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Pat Arbuckle Chronicle Stafft Participation House provides alternatives and independence Mike Hinschberger had been living at home with his 74â€"yearâ€"old mother. Realizing that his mother was becoming too old to care for khim, Mike decided that it was time to "try living on my own and getting some independence," he said. â€" He moved into Kitchener‘s Participation House, an apartment complex offering accommodation to physiâ€" cally disabled people and so far, according to Mike, the experiment has worked out well. When asked what he likes about the project, Mike has no hesitation in replying ‘"‘everything." Residents‘ reasons for becoming part of Participation House vary. Some wanted to escape life in a chronic care institution. Others were concerned about the burden they were putting on aging parents. What most have gained from living in the apartment complex, however, is a feeling of independence and a chance for a life of their own. Participation House, located at 16 Cedarwoods Cr. in Kitchener, was established in November, 1981 "to provide alternate accommodation for physically disâ€" abled people," explained Valerie Mills, coâ€"ordinator of the project in the Waterloo region. The local facility is part of a prm'iglcewide effort by Participation House Project, an organization whose goal it is to help disabled people become integrated into the community and attain greater independence. The project is supported by grants from the Ministry of Community and Social Services and through such fundraising efforts as last week‘s Weekend for the Stars Telethon for the Cerebral Palsied. Other similar Participation House projects are located in Toronto, Hamilton, Brantford and Sudbury. Some occupying a homeâ€"like residence, provide extensive nursing care. Others, like the one in Kitchener, are situated in an apartment complex and are designed "for those who don‘t need nursing care and can function to a certain level on their own," explained Mills. The project currently occupies eight apartments on four floors in the building and is able to provide accommodation for up to 12 adults. At present there are 11 residents with varying degrees of disability who range in age from 24 to 48 years. Each resident is required to pay his/her own rent, utilities and buy groceries from a family benefit allowance each disabled person receives. In return, the project‘s five fullâ€"time and 15 partâ€"time staff members provide 24â€"hour care. There are at least three to four staff members on duty at all times to assist in the preparation of meals, bathing, lifting and dressing, said Mills. The Kitchener Participation House is also the only facility in the province that employs an occupational therapist to regularly assess the ongoing physical needs of the residents so that aids such as bath lifts, tea wagons and kitchen handiâ€"boards can be provided when they are required. Staff members also act as advocates on behalf of residents putting them in touch with the right people or agencies to deal with their social and physical needs. If a resident needs a new wheelchair, explained Mills, the staff will tell them who to contact, help them fill out the necessary forms, take them to visit a doctor and assist them through the whole process until the wheelchair is received. Mills describes Participation House as a training program, too. Lessons in budgeting, apartment care, meal planning and preparation are provided in the hope that some residents may eventually move into an apartment of their own outside of the Participation House facility. -"Aâ€"fi)" disabled person over the age of 18 is eligible to become a resident of Participation House but not all applicants are suited to the program, said Mills. â€"r‘fwiefifr)'éy attention to a portson"s needs," she explained. ‘"Do they need to move from where they are? Are they motivated to live in this kind of setting? Can we help them" Mr. Keith Squires, owner/operator of Country Squire Garden Centre, Brampton. Mr. Squires is a woell known perennial plant authority, and lectures regularly at Horticultural Schools and Garden Clubs throughout Ontario. Mr. Squires perennial collection includes plants from many parts of the world. He currently grows over 2000 varieties of perennials. Lecture and slide presentation. . Friday, February 4 10 a.m. â€" 12 noon * registration and reserved seats only. Call or write Kâ€"W School of Horticulture 419 Phillip St., Waterloo, 884â€"1077 Mr. Douglas Hale, presi&ém of Wilson Laboritories Incorporated. Mr. Hale well known in the field of Home Garden Chemical Products, will be lecturing at the Kâ€"W School of Horticulture on safety and the use of common insecticides and fungicides for home gardeners. Thursday, January 27 10:15 â€" 12 noon registration and reserved seats only FEBRUARY 4 o Spring Garden Flower Show March 11th & 12th +9 ++ JANUARY 27 Kâ€"W School of Horticulture Each applicant is assessed by the occupational therapist to determine if the facility can meet their physical needs and all applications are carefully weighed by an admissions committee. Acceptance to the program comes only after an successful fiveâ€"day trial period of actually living in Participation House. Like Mike Hinsch:\erger. Pam Chatterson was living at home with her parénts and found the relationship was becoming strained. When she heard about Participation House, Pam jumped at the chance to live on her own. 111 Aida hi t lt nA hP dn ht itcb h iicbaiin Snd t nds e iaiice dn ds tb on Alaer en "I didn‘t realize what has to be done in a house," she said. ‘"My mother did all the cooking and cleaning. I‘m happy to get out and learn things again. It makes me more independent." Mike Hingchberger and Pam Chatterson, both residents of Participation House, find learning even simple household chores interesting and challenging because it gives them a feeling of greater indepenâ€" Telethon falls short of expected pledge total OPEN BOWLING â€" WEEKENDS WATERLOO BOWLING LANES Saturday â€" 12 Noonâ€"10:00 P.M. Sunday 10:00 A.M.â€"10:00 P.M. BOWLERS WANTED Couples required for Mixed League weekday evenings Call The Lanes for Information WEEKDAY OPENINGS Call for available times BOWLING | 14 Princess St. West 886â€"2900 or 886â€"2370 WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1983 â€" PAGE 5 Global Television Network January 29â€" 30 Starts Saturday at 9:00p.m. Organizers of last week‘s Weekend with the Stars Telethon for the Cerebral Palsied feel that the economic recession coupled with an increase in the number of fundâ€"raising telethons caused the significant decline in money pledged this year. â€" Only $10,879 in pledges were received this year in the Waterioo region, less than half of last year‘s total of $24,000. o e "It didn‘t go as well as we had expected," said Barb Kreuger, coâ€"ordinator for the event in the Waterloo region. ‘"When we contacted people (in a telephone blitz prior to the telethon) many felt they couldn‘t give as much this year or couldn‘t give at all." _ Kreuger added that with so many telethons ""*people choose one or the other, they don‘t give to every one." us llel,,'fi