WDOMI Programs Help Keep Disabled, Elderly at Home

Yonkers, NY – November, 2023 – Keeping the elderly and disabled out of nursing homes is the goal of a new program run by Westchester Disabled on the Move Inc.

The program, My Home, Not Nursing Home, has received a grant from Westchester County to fund support services for those who might otherwise have to go into a nursing home. Many of these people are not elderly but have physical limitations and no support system so end up being institutionalized.

“People with severe disabilities can live and thrive in the community with the proper support, including the under-65 category,’’ said Maria Samuels, Executive Director of Westchester Disabled on the Move. “Contrary to the stereotype, not all nursing home residents are 85 or older. Too many younger people with disabilities accept institutionalization as the only option for their future, unaware of quality community services that lead to high levels of independence, satisfaction, and social inclusion. We thank Westchester County and Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Westchester County Legislator Nancy Barr for their support of this program.”

By coordinating existing support services combined with outreach, education and in-home independent living skills training, My Home, Not Nursing Home, helps people with disabilities to stay at home or return home from a nursing home setting.

After a tragic motorcycle accident in 2010, Marcus Blacknall was seriously injured to the point where he was forced to live in a nursing home. Through sheer persistence and the help of WDOMI Blacknall is now living independently, driving and living on his own and making progress adapting to his physical limitations.

“Westchester Disabled on the Move gave me back my life,’’ said Blacknall. “I was able to leave the nursing home within a matter of three months.”

Westchester County Legislator Nancy Barr, who assisted WDOM in obtaining the grant, said,

“Many elderly people, and people living with a disability, prefer to live independently in their homes rather than in a nursing facility. But often, there are not support services in place to enable them to do so. Westchester Disabled on the Move, Inc.’s (WDOMI’s) “My Home Not Nursing Home” program supports independent living and a superior quality of life, by providing essential services and personalized support to help transition individuals from institutional to home living. WDOMI’s comprehensive approach also supports caregivers and family members of the individuals, which enables these individuals to successfully transition to living independently. I am very supportive of WDOMI’s efforts to expand this program to enable more people to live at home with dignity, while at the same time saving taxpayer dollars as they work to reduce and prevent institutionalization.”

The program includes a welcome home kit, $25 grocery card, training in independent living skills, assistive technology, service coordination, potential eligibility for subsidized housing and more. My Home Not Nursing Home collaborates the caregivers and support systems to assist the participants live and thrive in the community.

About Westchester Disabled on the Move Inc.

Westchester Disabled on the Move, Inc., established 1984, is a not-for-profit community-based organization. WDOMI is part of a national network of Independent Living Centers dedicated to independence and equal rights for individuals with disabilities. Westchester Disabled on the Move Inc., is staffed and governed primarily by people with disabilities. The programs and services of WDOMI are free to consumers with disabilities and their families. WDOMI does not discriminate based on age, sex, disability, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or religion. Westchester Disabled on the Move Inc., receives funding from the New York State Education Department. Additional funding comes from private individuals, companies and foundations that support the independent living philosophy.

Westchester Disabled on the Move, Inc., is a Registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization