The Mission Association for Community Living (MACL) changed the lives of the Parrish family.
Kathy Parrish’s son, Lindsay, has several medical and physical disabilities. Growing up, Lindsay lived with his parents but when he was 19, Kathy says it became evident that it was too physically difficult to take care of him.
“Lindsay had gotten sick and was in the hospital. I think that’s when our doctor said Lindsay needs more medical care than [we] can provide,” Kathy said.
To ensure his safety, the Parrish family decided to put Lindsay in a staffed home. They advocated to keep him in Mission, and Lindsay made a new home at MACL’s staffed home on 7th Avenue.
“He deserved to stay where he was born and raised and went to school. The kids that are grown up — they know him. There’ll be lots of times we’ll be out for a walk and someone will say hi to him,” Kathy said.
Lindsay has now lived at the staffed home on 7th Avenue for 12 years. Kathy says it was a hard decision, but the best choice for both Lindsay and the family.
“As a mom, it was gut-wrenching, because I had always assumed Lindsay would live with us,” Kathy said. “Once we were there and I met the staff, I knew that he was going to be in a safe and happy place. It’s really important that he was in a very positive environment.”
MACL offers a variety of staffed home services for both youth and adults in Mission. Each home is designed for and around the individual’s needs and interests.
Each person served in MACL’s staffed homes has an individualized plan with 24/7 staffed services available to those with complex healthcare or behaviour support needs.
“I always say that only my husband and I could love him as much as we do but there are other people that can care for him,” Kathy said. “I think what it’s given us is he gets the best of us because we’re not burnt out — we’re not fatigued. We can pop by every day, which often we do. We take him for walks, that’s his favourite thing to do,” Kathy said.
She says the support at staffed homes has been above and beyond expectations. Lindsay participates in a variety of activities regularly, including musical therapy, concerts in the park, visits to Vancouver Zoo and Mission Raceway, along with weekly trips to Abbotsford for a “circle of friends”.
However, Lindsay has frequent trips to the hospital, often for respiratory issues.
During a recent trip, Kathy says a MACL staffer who works with Lindsay said “he’s our family, we love him too.”
“As a parent, to hear that was amazing,” Kathy said.
The staff gives Lindsay as much independence possible for someone who’s totally dependent, Kathy says. She says there’s a lot of dignity to MACL’s care and their integrity is evident every time they visit.
“I’m within walking distance. So for me as a mom to make sense of it, it just feels like a long hallway to his bedroom,” Kathy said.