I worked with mentally handicapped kids a lot as an educator when I was younger (albeit in a different country). This wonderful article captures perfectly how, in the right environment, children with Down Syndrome can blossom, but how hard it can be for them as adults once society & red tape & bureaucracy all come into play. (I also worked with children who had Down Syndrome and had not grown up in the right environment- think abusive/dead/incarcerated/etc. parents. That got very depressing very fast, and I'm not sure I could do it again).
I think this also highlights how the increasingly geographically fragmented familial unit is problematic: in a culture where several generations of the same family lives under the same roof, the situation wouldn't be as dire. However, in our culture it is typical to have only small portions of a family living together, and for children to move away and live on their own, potentially hundreds of miles away. No situation is perfect, of course - but it's still something to ponder (and it affects other social groups as well, for instance the elderly).
There was a wonderful American Life a while back on a similar topic, about a mother dealing with her adult son who had a mental disability (can't remember if it was autism or Down), and fearing for what would happen once she passed away. Can't find it right now; will edit this post if I do.
There was a satirical article in the Onion that exposed a similar truth. I wish I could find it now but it was along the lines of "Learning Disabled Man is Only Decent Employee in Local Burger Bar". He was the only diligent employee and the rest were teenagers that couldn't give a shit.
Is it Act One from the episode called Neighborhood Watch?
"Reporter Ruth Padawer tells the story of a woman goes to her neighbors with an incredible request—to help care for her son after she dies—and is shocked by their response."
I believe you are referring to Season 2 Episode 1 of This American Life the tv show titled "Escape". Two sentence summary from the site:
"Mike and his mom get caught up in a fight that lots of kids have with their parents. Except in their case, due to some very specialized circumstances, they go through the fight in slow motion, over the course of years."
I am curious if there are any programs which pair developmentally disabled adults with nursing homes? I think it would be a good mix for them to have jobs in which they knowingly play a role in providing companionship and assistance for the nursing home residents.
I am optimistic enough to believe that this would be worth looking at, but I am pessimistic enough to believe that it would not get a moment's consideration in a risk-averse and/ or litigious society.
I am unsure of the details but there is a "nursing home" for mentally disabled people across from my house (in Canada). It has careworkers there 24 hours. They come and go as they please (the door does lock though and they need to wait to be let it). Families come and visit. It seems like a great thing to have.
It is also close to a university so some will take courses and others find small jobs on campus, if they can.
I think the grandparent poster meant nursing homes where mentally disabled people work taking care of the residents, not nursing homes that care for the mentally disabled.
> this also highlights how the increasingly geographically fragmented familial unit is problematic
My parents didn't usually repeat things to us kids growing up, but one thing they did say over and over again was, "it's not worth moving away from your family." When I had the opportunity to take a fancy job across the country at a "big name" employer, or stay in my home City, ultimately those words came back to me. I'm glad I stayed for many reasons.
I think this also highlights how the increasingly geographically fragmented familial unit is problematic: in a culture where several generations of the same family lives under the same roof, the situation wouldn't be as dire. However, in our culture it is typical to have only small portions of a family living together, and for children to move away and live on their own, potentially hundreds of miles away. No situation is perfect, of course - but it's still something to ponder (and it affects other social groups as well, for instance the elderly).
There was a wonderful American Life a while back on a similar topic, about a mother dealing with her adult son who had a mental disability (can't remember if it was autism or Down), and fearing for what would happen once she passed away. Can't find it right now; will edit this post if I do.