Helemano
Village, a division of Opportunities for the Retarded, Inc.
(ORI), is a residential community for adults (18 years or
older) with developmental disabilities. These comfortable,
attractive homes are situated in a rural setting on the island
of Oahu in Hawaii. The Village consists of 9 homes with each
home accommodating up to five individuals with disabilities.
The Homes at Helemano Village offer a warm and caring, family-like
atmosphere in a scenic, residential community setting. Although
a coed facility, our homes are divided by gender and are licensed
by the State. Dedicated and trained caregivers provide residents
support, assistance and companionship. Caregivers are assisted
and supervised by an experienced case management team of qualified
professionals who are available and on-call 24 hours a day.
Support services and transportation are provided to meet the
residents medical and recreational
needs.
The Village provides a warm, caring atmosphere, which supports
the family, but by no means does it replace them. It is intended
to provide a long-term solution to the problem of quality,
stable living environment for the handicapped.
Occupancy is limited to five residents per home (each individual
has a spacious bedroom). Each home has a live-in counselor
to provide the daily supervision and caring support each resident
requires. All homes have spacious individual rooms with 2
residents sharing a bath, a comfortable living room, kitchen,
and full laundry. Each cluster of 3 homes shares a recreation
room. The recreation rooms are equipped with color televisions
and assorted recreational equipment and games (billiards,
ping pong, etc.). It is an area where residents can socialize,
play games, watch television, or just relax while in the company
of their peers. A basketball / volleyball court and ample
space for other recreational/leisureactivities is provided.
Layout of the homes, while in line with traditional homes
in the community, also includes handicapped baths and emergency
alarms, and rooms which are easily accessible by both residents
and counselors in case of emergencies and for better supervision.
Special attention has been given to the unique needs of the
residents.
- Helemano Village works in conjunction with Helemano Plantation
and Opportunities for the Retarded, Inc. to provide well-rounded
training programs, including day activity, pre-vocational,
and supported employment training.
- Training in the home focuses on functional living and personal
self-sufficiency skills, social development, leisure and recreational
skills development, and interaction with the community.
- Meals are carefully planned and are designed to satisfy
the various cultural backgrounds of our residents. Meal planning
stresses nutritional values.
- Weekly recreational activities are available which include
field trips to cultural events/exhibits, dances, movies, game-nights,
birthday/holiday parties, etc.
- Residents are encouraged to spend some time with their family
and home visits/leaves may be arranged with the resident manager.
The
Village emphasizes pride and dignity in each person, and encourages
self-confidence and independence. Staff members and counselors
are highly qualified with professional degrees in related
fields and have completed the required state certifications.
All counselors receive monthly in-service training and briefings,
as well as the opportunity to discuss any problems or achievements
with input from professionals in the field. In addition to
providing training in the home, counselors are also required
to provide a warm and loving, supportive family atmosphere
to enhance growth and development.
Helemano Village is a self-supporting residential program,
which does not receive funding from any other agency. Monthly
room and board fees begin at $1,200.00 per month, but may
vary according to the individual's level of care and are subject
to change. Generally, the resident's Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) or Social Security payment plus a small amount
of supplement are sufficient to support the resident. Additional
costs include the residents' personal spending and incidentals,
furniture as well as other needs above and beyond the room
and board costs.
Applicants for residential services are required to complete
a comprehensive application form and meet specific criteria
for admission as follows:
The applicant must:
(1) Be an adult (18 years or older)
(2) Have a primary diagnosis of developmental disabilities/mental
retardation
(3) Complete a physical examination
(4) Not have any history of violent or self-abusive behavior
(5) Have basic self-help and toileting skills
(6) Show evidence of ability to meet monthly payments
(7) Show evidence of support in case of emergencies
(8) Attend a day training program or be employed
(9) Complete a personal interview
An Admission Review Committee consisting of an interdisciplinary
team of professionals, staff members and/or Board members
review the application. A sample of the resident's daily schedule
is shown below:
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am-3:30pm Report to work or day program
3:30pm-5:00pm Return home, personal chores and cleanup,
leisure activities (ball games, etc.)
5:00pm Set tables/prepare for dinner
5:15pm Dinner
6:00pm-7:00pm Exercise/Recreation period
7:00pm-9:00pm Leisure activity (recreational activities
every Wednesday night)
Fun Nights
Wednesday nights are designated as "fun nights"
for planned recreational activities such as movies, games,
dances, and field trips to special events. Recreation and
leisure consists of "fun night" on Wednesdays, and
supervised weekend group activities.
Weekend Recreation
There is also a recreational program for those who remain
at the Village during the weekend. Activities include outings
to parks, community events, museums and other community resources,
social events as well as a variety of enjoyable leisure and
sports activities.
Respite Services
The respite service is a boarding program intended to provide
temporary or emergency relief to families who have a need
to have their son/daughter taken care of in a residential
setting while they are out of town, taking care of personal
emergencies, or on a short vacation. Boarding from a few days
to a month may be arranged with the Residential Program administrator.Potential
candidates for respite must attend some type of day program.
If none is available, then a fee will be charged for participation
in ORI's training program.
The cost will vary according to individual need and the
length of respite, but generally includes fees for:
- Residential Care (Room and Board)
- Day program (if applicable)
- Recreation
- Transportation (if applicable)