Living with Joy: Friendship, Support, and Everyday Moments at Shoreham Intermediate Care Facility
Prioritizing happiness, friendship, and kindness
At the Shoreham Intermediate Care Facility (ICF), four buildings form a supportive community where 79 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) – each with their own interests, needs and strengths – live, thrive and share their stories. In the Magnolia building, Patty McCarthy has made her bedroom a warm and personal retreat adorned with pictures from past and present, along with vibrant decor, including bright green touches for St. Patrick’s Day.
“It’s not St. Patrick’s Day,” Assistant Director Maura Boden smiled at Patty. “It’s St. Patty’s Day.”
Patty began giggling with excitement thinking of the fast-approaching “St. Patty’s Day” parade and party.
“Can you change the calendar?” Patty asked Maura. She pointed at her calendar, which was still flipped to February. Maura laughed, telling Patty it was too soon.
Patty has quite a busy schedule. From Monday to Friday she is supported through day services, where she creates a variety of crafts including knitting potholders and coasters. When she returns home in the afternoon, Patty joins up with her Magnolia housemates for a light snacks before dinner. Inside the living room and dining room, where people enjoy time together, Patty happily shares the names of the people she lives with.
On this particular afternoon while Patty chats with her housemates, Charlie Belasco was relaxing in the living room with his Scooby-Doo hat, blanket, and stuffed animal – a much-loved present from his birthday. Nearby, Jeffrey Bloch proudly sports gear from his favorite teams, the Jets and the Yankees, as he watches television.
Like her housemates, Patty has many interests and talents. One of her favorites is singing, and she never misses a chance to use her karaoke machine. Ask her about it, and she’ll happily sing you with a song—sometimes even the National Anthem.
Every person supported in Shoreham has the opportunity to explore their community, make new friends, enjoy events like movie nights and dances, and take up hobbies. This is especially true during the weekend, when people enjoy shopping trips and matinees at South Bay Cinemas in Babylon.
The Shoreham team
Shoreham ICF Director Mary Gilleran explained that each person has a nursing service plan outlining their support needs. With 24-hour nursing and regular team meetings, everyone’s health is prioritized, ensuring their optimal comfort.
For people experiencing behavioral complexities, the BIS team provides personalized support to help them express themselves and navigate their emotions.
“It’s about truly understanding each person, it’s a lot of observations. We spend time gathering behavioral data and reporting to the team every week, figuring out the function of the behavior,” said BIS Antoinette Sgroi. “That’s the way you go about it. Finding out the root cause of the behavior, then implementing replacement skills and opportunities to learn and communicate.”
With the varying needs at the Shoreham ICF— younger people who are more energetic and vocal to people who need more medical attention—a caring and thoughtful team is essential to providing the best possible outcomes for the men and women who currently live there..
“Everyone is very involved with the day-to-do stuff, but staff take it to the next level,” Mary said. “We look at their interests and help the person develop hobbies, engage with the community, and form friendships. People get involved with making things special for the person and and tapping into their interests.”
As the seasons change and holidays come and go, there are many peaks and valleys. However, the men, women s and staff grow closer, create new memories, earning their slogan, “Shoreham Strong.”