Making a Home: Assisted Living in the Community for Young Disabled People

by Jen Powley

In some Canadian provinces, people with severe physical disabilities are simply warehoused in nursing homes, where many people, especially in the age of homecare, are in the final stages of their lives. It is difficult for a young person to live in a home geared for death; their physical assistance needs are met, but their social, psychological and emotional needs are not. Jen Powley argues that everyone deserves to live with the dignity of risk.

In Making a Home, Powley tells the story of how she got young disabled people like herself out of nursing homes by developing a shared attendant services system for adults with severe physical disabilities. This book makes a case for living in the community and against dehumanizing institutionalization.

Bio:
Jen Powley was born in Alberta, moved to Halifax for university and stayed. An author by circumstance, she wrote Just Jen: Thriving Through Multiple Sclerosis, which won the 2018 Margaret and John Savage First Time Author Nonfiction Book Award. Powley has completed a BA and an after degree in journalism, as well as an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction at the University of King’s College.

136 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2023

Reviews

[Fern A · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Making a Home’ is a book exploring the author’s idea, struggles and determination to create an alternative home for young disabled people who were finding themselves having to live in care homes for elderly people. Jen Powley, who herself has Multiple Sclerosis, explores the current reality of many young disabled people in Canada (the main focus is Nova Scotia) who end up in nursing homes. She looks at how there are better solutions out there that provide dignity and allow people to live their lives how they want to
on their own terms. She herself creates a home that uses a shared attendant service where people can live together in a flatshare type situation. This is far from straight forward though and she shares with the reader the obstacles along the way to make this happen.

I was really interested to read this book as someone who has had to consider going into a care/nursing home due to disability despite being young. While not living in Canada the number of similarities of the obstacles of getting care and support to live the life you want is very similar. Her solution was very thought provoking as it does make you stop and wonder if this was to be replicated what a difference it could make. I found it particularly interesting to read, bureaucracy aside, of some of the challenges of adjusting from institutional living to a home again and also having to change from someone who employs others to also the role of a housemate.

A brilliant book for those involved in disability activism and rights, social and care work and also for disabled people too, to give hope that there are alternative solutions out there that hopefully will become possible everywhere.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Making a home explains the difficulties that people with disabilities face on a daily basis especially those with a severe disability. These people are most often than not dependent on aids to help with their daily activities, this can be costly meaning that many young people end up moving into institutions with people from an older generation.

In this book the author advocates for a pilot program to prevent young people having to move into these institutions by sharing their aids with "roommates" of a similar ages and similar needs.

The book was informative and well written. I liked how the author not only gave her perception of her situation, but also interacted with other people for their opinion.