Deinstitutionalization (it's not as scary as it sounds, well it was for a little bit)

Adult foster care homes in Michigan did not exist as they are today until the early 1970s. Before that, those with mental illness and developmental disabilities were housed in large institutions also known as asylums. There were a number of state institutions or asylums in Michigan, some of which are detailed on the Historic Asylums of America website. These facilities had many names over the years that seemed to change with social attitudes. For example, before most of it was demolished in the 1990s, Oakdale Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities was originally named the Michigan Home for the Feebleminded and Epileptic when it opened in 1895.

Today, most of these institutions are no longer operating thanks to the efforts of deinstitutionalization during the 1970s and 80s. This movement sought to reincorporate those with developmental disabilities and mental illness into the community by providing residential settings in which to live. Establishing these care homes was often met with much resistance from their respective communities. The resistance came in the form of threats, rocks through windows, gunfire and even arson directed at the care homes causing those residing and working in them to fear for their safety.

Fortunately, the attitudes toward care homes have significantly improved over time as evidenced by the interactions I had with the neighbors of the home I managed. The neighborhood is friendly toward everyone who lives and works in the home, waving as we drive by and coming over just to say “hi” from time to time. It’s especially apparent at Halloween when we have just as many trick-or-treaters as the other homes on our street. The people in the home all love watching the kids in their costumes come to the door and the visitors always acknowledge the people and sometimes bring them some candy or other treats.

While the fear seems to have subsided, there are still some challenges from communities in regard to care homes. Education of both the community and staff is key to the success of keeping the developmentally disabled in their residential settings and keep the institutions a thing of the past.