San Antonio – Families who care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are facing unique challenges during the pandemic and into the future.
Mike Bennett, president and CEO of The Arc of San Antonio, a service organization for people with special needs, said their facility is like a day habilitation center filled with socialization programs for adults to get exercise and take part in other activities.
The center also gives families a break by knowing that their loved ones are cared for and safe.
Bennett said the closure of the facility has been difficult.
“Many people with intellectual developmental disabilities are isolated. They're isolated because of their needs, because of a lack of transportation or ability to do some of the things that you and I don't give a second thought to,” he explained.
Through the Zoom app, they’re able to help their participants connect with their friends, and the website provides ideas on how to stay busy.
Matthew Constantino is one of the participants. His mother, Margaret Constantino, told KSAT her son misses his routine and the socialization he’s known at The Arc for 25 years.
“Many of our family members who depend on The Arc do not have access to child care outside the home,” she said. “My son's 38. He still needs to have day care that isn't available anywhere else.”
Margaret Constantino said her family is lucky that they can work from home, but for others, it is a challenge. Each family has unique needs, behavioral and medical issues, so the pandemic has affected all of them differently.
Margaret Constantino's son, who needs physical therapy, hasn’t been to his weekly visit in two months. She said it’s important he goes because he needs circulation.
The next challenge for these families and the centers that care for them will be the reopening of the facilities based on the health guidelines.
Bennett says they’re exploring how to apply those guidelines. For some participants, it will be easier than for others to adjust, he said.
“We have folks who will come back. They’re going to be a little more capable of adjusting to a mask and do distancing,” Bennett said. “We have a lot of folks who are not going to understand why they can't hug their friends or why they have to wear a mask. So we're going to have some challenges.”
The Arc has about 200 participants enrolled and employs about 75 people. It is also a case management organization and helps about 1,200 families a year with guidance on how to care for an individual with intellectual or developmental disabilities.