THE VOICE

New Vinfen Residences Offer Comfort, Support, and Possibilities 

Ask Sydney Rives, Director of Service for Vinfen’s Brain Injury (BI) Services division, about what kind of impact moving into one of BI’s supportive residences can have on an individual, and one story comes immediately to mind.  

“We had a gentleman move in, and during the transition meeting from his previous facility, we were told that he flat-out refused to get out of bed and engage—I mean, this man had apparently spent five years staying in bed,” Sydney recalls. “So, when he got here, we knew we had to make a concerted effort right from the start to find out what accommodations could make this a better environment for him—starting with getting him an oversized recliner and special wheelchair that were more comfortable. He was out of bed, and sitting in the living room with other residents, on his FIRST DAY here.”  

The month of May saw two additions to Vinfen’s growing portfolio of Brain Injury residences, bringing the organization’s total to 20.  

These houses provide individuals a safe, comfortable home close to family members, friends, and their community. A team of support professionals assists individuals 24/7, coordinating medical care, providing transportation to medical appointments, and assisting with activities of daily living, including meal planning and preparation and managing personal finances. 

Individuals in BI-supportive residences generally come from nursing facilities or long-stay hospitals. They qualify for placement through either an ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) or MFP (Moving Forward Plan) waiver. These waivers are for MassHealth-eligible people who would otherwise need facility-based care. While ABI waivers cover those who have been diagnosed with a brain injury after the age of 22, MFP waivers are for people with mental health diagnoses in combination with a range of complex medical needs. 

“Compared to the nursing homes and facilities that individuals are coming from, our houses offer much more choice and personal agency,” says Senior Program Director Laura Aiello. “Our job is to help the folks in the houses become more independent and help them achieve the specific goals they may have, large or small.” 

Vinfen’s BI residences provide the intensive medical support of skilled nursing facilities while offering a variety of specialized adaptations that help foster independence for residents. “We have Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) in most homes—some 14-16 hours a day, and 24 hours a day in the most intensive homes,” says Sydney. “We’re able to support folks with intensive needs ranging from oxygen and tracheotomies to supported nutrition, like feeding tubes. We also have Board Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs) that work with our staff and residents as they negotiate the major adjustments required following a life-changing injury or progression of health complications. And we collaborate with third-party agencies, which allows us to bring in assistive technology experts as well as occupational, physical, and speech therapists to provide as much support as anyone needs or wants, regardless of insurance barriers.”  

At the same time, assistive technology allows residents with less intense medical needs the means to do things for themselves. “Mobility accommodations are among the most common features our houses need to have,” Sydney says. “That can mean anything from overhead Hoyer lifts to help people get in and out of bed, to electronic dining room tables that raise and lower to accommodate wheelchairs, to motion-activated hand soap dispensers in bathrooms. It’s about making sure homes are not just ADA-compliant, but thoughtful about the small everyday needs most of us take for granted.”  

Sydney says that, before securing a spot in one of our BI residences, it’s not unusual for individuals to have spent 5-10 years living in an extended stay facility. She estimates that about 300 people statewide have been approved to move to supported housing and are waiting for a spot to open. “There simply aren’t enough of these houses out there for them to move into,” she says.  

The major stumbling blocks, she says, are finding suitable locations (either existing properties or available land to build upon), the time it takes to make properties compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and being able to achieve appropriate staffing levels. Nevertheless, Sydney says, the Department of Developmental Services remains enthusiastic about these programs' benefits. It is committed to opening more residences—a mission that Vinfen is proud to partner in. 

“We don’t currently have any new properties located, but our eyes are always open—expansion is certainly on our mind,” Sydney says. “I feel that we’ve found a service model that works very well. It’s all about working with people to find out what their goals are—it could be becoming more mobile, getting out in the community, visiting their family every week, or owning a cat. What is it going to take to make life better for them, and how can we help make those goals possible and achievable?”