Progress Industries discontinues intermediate maintenance facility services – Newton Daily News

Intermediate care facilities operated by Progress Industries in Newton and used by people with physical and mental disabilities are expected to close in about a month, ending services for the foreseeable future. One family told Newton News their daughter would be displaced and would need to find a new home.

Tanya Myers of Ira said her daughter, Brooke VanCleave, 38, was given a 30-day notice letter from Progress Industries stating that ICF services would be discontinued and that her daughter’s needs encompassed more than the organization could provide in a Home. and the Community Based Services (HCBS) setting.

“I’m sad, I’m betrayed, I’m going through a lot of emotions that I can’t describe,” Myers told Newton News. “I just don’t understand.”

That means VanCleave and the 14 other residents using ICFs will likely be evacuated on Nov. 25, three days before Thanksgiving. Myers received this news on October 24 and every day because she could not speak without crying. She’s worried about not only finding a new ICF, but also about finding one close to home.

“Brooke needs to be moved,” Myers said. “This is the hardest thing for him. You can put him in the hospital for a month and he will accept that more easily than being moved. Does not communicate verbally. He has a communication device, but that can’t say everything for him. Wherever he goes, people will not recognize him. “It will be very difficult.”

VanCleave has been with ICF since he was about 18 years old. His first was in Forest City, and then he stayed at an ICF in Clear Lake before being hired by Progress Industries to stay in Newton. While Myers liked where VanCleave was staying in Clear Lake, he liked it being closer to home.

“We really wanted to bring him closer, so we agreed to bring him in,” Myers said. “So that was him for 10 years. For the past 10 years, he has been able to come to our family events like Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July parties, and graduations. “We also visit him here every week.”

Following the termination of ICF services to Progress Industries, there are no more ICFs in the county. That means Myers will have to travel a longer distance to visit her daughter, and she suspects it will be more difficult for VanCleave to attend family gatherings more easily.

The letter, sent to residents deemed ineligible for HCBS services, states that people like VanCleave may appeal the facility’s decision to immediately transfer or discharge him. If people don’t think they should have to leave, they can request a hearing within seven days of notice.

Hearings are conducted through the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. Individuals have the right to be represented by an attorney or other person of their choice. If the department decides on the person who objects to the decision, these people may be sent back to the facility.

Progress Industries was founded in 1979. The organization provides community-based services to approximately 200 people with physical and mental disabilities in Jasper and Polk Counties. Fifteen of these individuals receive ICF housing services at two ICF facilities in Newton.

An intermediate care facility is a home and care center for individuals with intellectual disabilities or related conditions. ICFs regularly provide health or rehabilitation services to individuals whose mental or physical conditions require services such as room, board, and active treatment.

The decision to terminate ICF services applies to both facilities owned by Progress Industries. The organization made the following statement regarding the decision:

“Progress Industries is not closing, but this service line is. We will continue to operate Home and Community Based Services. HCBS helps people stay in their own home or community instead of going to a medical facility. Progress Industries will continue to work with individuals in our ICF service as long as adequate placements are available. “We will ensure everyone receives quality support throughout the transition.”