More programs, services needed for adults with disabilities says Sudbury mother

Pamela Roweof Sudbury is optimisticfollowing a provincial report about services for adult children with disabilities.

• Ontario ombudsman calls for systematic overhaul of care for adults with developmental disabilities

The reportfrom the Ontario Ombudsmanstated service gaps are leaving adults with disabilities abandoned, abused and without proper care.

Rowe's 21-year-old son Alexhas both mental and physical disabilities.

Rowe finds it extremely difficult to find any resources for her son. She says this is becausetechnically Alex is an adult, but has the mind of a child.

She feelswhen it comes to hospital staysor medical care,adults with mental disabilities should be in a ward or semi-private room with others with similar disabilities.

Rowe also feelsthere isn't enough for adults with disabilities to do in Sudbury, due to a lack of funding.

Shesays many people can't afford to pay for programs for their grown children.

"If you don't have that funding, then they sit at home and they just wither away. That's not fair to them," says Rowe. She added these adults with disabilitiesshould have the same quality of life as everyoneelse.

Rowe would like to see theprovincial government provide more funding for programs and centres for younger adults in northernOntario who have disabilities.

Rowe is the onlyprimary caregiver for her son Alex. She says it terrifies her to wonder what might happen to him if she were to pass away.

She saysshe's been told if this happened, Alex would be put in a long term care home. "And he's going to be sittingthere the rest of his life like this? That's not right," Rowe adds.