DOVER, N.H. (AP) - While New Hampshire officials continue to boast a booming economy and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, there are people gravely hurt by these seemingly positive realities.
In this case, those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Because of the state’s economic success, human services agencies are struggling to find people to work as direct support professionals to provide care to individuals intellectually and developmentally disabled. The most recently reported wait list for those awaiting services featured 129 people statewide.
New Hampshire currently has a 2.6% unemployment rate.
But one agency has been able to band-aid the crisis with an untapped population - active retirees age 65 to 80 seeking something meaningful to do with their time.
Living Innovations, which provides services in New Hampshire in the Dover, Exeter, Concord and Derry areas, has recruited several from this demographic to work as direct support professionals. The work involves taking people with disabilities on day trips, to appointments, jobs and helping them cultivate skills and hobbies.
“The DSP role is so critical, it creates opportunities for the individuals,” said Cindy Marsh, program manager for Living Innovations in Exeter and Dover. “And that’s why the staffing crisis has been so devastating, because there are so many people on the waiting list.”
Living Innovations CEO Neal Ouellett said his industry typically employs many young people in entry-level jobs, so there’s a lot of turnover. The active retirees have given the individuals they serve more stability.
“When you hire people who have already had life experiences and a career, the people in that demographic stay with it,” Ouellett said.
Bob Howard, 66, of Somersworth, and Mary Groebner, 67, of North Hampton, have been with the organization as part-time DSPs for 10 or more years, and are still working with the same individuals.
Recently, Howard has been splitting his time between three men with intellectual disabilities. That’s not uncommon for DSPs today, said Michelle Donovan, New Hampshire state director for Living Innovations.
“We are not able to provide 1-to-1 staffing ratios for the majority of the people who are supposed to get them,” Donovan said. “We are instead having to pair people up with one staff to two individuals and in some cases 1 to 3. So everyone gets services, but not everyone gets their full services due to the severe staffing shortage.”
Howard and the individuals he serves - Chris, John and Mike - go bowling, to Seacoast United, on walks, hikes and to the beach. They like to go to Stratham Hill Park and throw a Frisbee around.
Howard worked at Liberty Mutual in IT for 30 years and took an early retirement at age 56. “After about a year, I was so bored I was almost in tears, so I was looking for something else to do,” he said. “I wanted to do something I actually felt good about.”
At first, Howard felt under-qualified for the DSP role because he’d never done anything like it before, but he said Living Innovations provided a supportive environment for him.
“As time went along, I began to feel more comfortable and as you really get into it and understand what it’s all about, it’s just the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “A lot of times people would say, ‘Look what you’re doing for these people,’ but I would turn it around and say look what it does for me.
“The courage and character these people show everyday is something I have never seen anywhere else. What you learn is just incredible. If I could do this for another 20 years, I would do it.”
For the last eight years, Howard and Chris have gone to a New Hampshire Fisher Cats baseball game for Chris’ July 1 birthday. There, Howard said, is where he’s noticed just how far Chris has come - from having to leave after the first inning, to clapping his hands and stamping his feet to the ballpark music.
“You do appreciate the smaller things and you see how meaningful that is,” he said. “Holding a door, putting on shoes by themselves, helping someone carry something.”
Groebner came from a background in social work so she was confident in the transition to working with Living Innovations, which she discovered through attending a job fair after retirement. She’s worked with primarily three individuals the last 12 years. “The beauty of seniors citizens,” she said, is “they bring a whole wealth of life experiences. We have a lot of common sense”
“I bring a lot of enthusiasm and excitement to the job, but what I take away is far, far more. Any day that I think, ‘Poor me, I’m having such a tough day,’ Damian will come running down the stairs with a smile on his face to start his day, and it’s like I have no problems. I have a job that I absolutely love.”
Damian is 29, and splits time between working as a stocker at the Dollar Tree and washing dishes at Vida Cantina.
“Damian’s mom said to me, ‘I want him to be happy, I’d like him to work, and I’d like him to be a part of his community,’” Groebner said. “We go everywhere and anywhere.”
Groebner said she’s typically recognized out in the community as “that woman who works with Damian.”
“I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction,” she said with a laugh.
Paul Fleming, former marketing director at Living Innovations, said anyone with “heart and integrity” can explore working in a DSP role, and the four-state agency serving more than 1,000 individuals actively seeks other senior citizens with time, energy and a desire to make a difference.
“Some of these individuals are hysterically funny, some of them are so incredibly sweet,” Groebner said. “Most of them are an absolute joy to be around.”
Howard added, “Even some of the people who are largely non-verbal speak volumes.”
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