Seven Hills Offers Alternative Care For Medically Intensive Individuals

Seven Hills Community Services has built a home for medically-intensive individuals in Groton, MA.  Residents enjoy all the comforts of a traditional home in rooms adapted to their needs.

No sign, no front desk, no announcements over the intercom.

Nothing identifies the neat grey, one level house on a bucolic lane in Groton, MA as a home for individuals who have complex medical conditions and physical or cognitive disabilities. 

But inside the Great Room, five bedrooms and spacious tub and shower rooms there are overhead lifts to move the five young adult residents from wheel chair to sofa, or bed, or bath. The kitchen is handicapped-accessible, even though only one current resident can manipulate utensils and participate in cooking. Wheelchair arms slide easily beneath the table top and medical equipment is tucked next to clothes in the closet in each resident’s private room.

This medically-intensive home is one of twelve group homes built and operated by Seven Hills Community Services, an Affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation.  Three homes provide a living environment for individuals who require skilled nursing services.

Massachusetts first began moving people from nursing homes into community settings about eleven years ago after a lawsuit challenged the inappropriate placement of individuals with developmental disabilities in medical facilities.  Until recently individuals who required skilled nursing could not qualify for the less restrictive, home-like setting.  When families or guardians apply, candidates are reviewed for the complexity of their medical conditions and how many skilled nursing hours they require.

Most of the current Groton home residents are non verbal, non-ambulatory and have spent significant portions of their lives in a nursing home.

A nurse and at least two Direct Support Professionals staff the Groton house whenever residents are present.

Thirteen staffers working shifts to provide necessary medical support and personal care, said Assistant Director Kelli Jimenez. The staff also encourages and arranges participation in the community, pursuit of individual interests and continued development of skills and abilities.

“We view this as a process. Typical kids grow up and leave home. This is a form of independence for these individuals,” said Jennifer Amadon, MSN RN. She is also Clinical Nurse Liaison at nearby Seven Hills Pediatric Center, where four of the residents previously lived.

Seven Hills Community Services strives to increase the individual’s personal control and independence, and contribute to the highest quality of life for each person.

To learn more about Seven Hills programs visit www.Sevenhills.org or call 508.755.2340