‘Elated:’ Sask. man with Down syndrome moves out of long-term care

After months of being stuck in a long-term care facility, a 62-year-old Wadena man with Down syndrome was overjoyed to finally move to a group home.

Jerry Kryzanowski’s family first shared his story in January. While he spent most of his life living with family members, his caregivers were ageing so they tried to find him a place in a group home.

Unfortunately, the group home didn’t have the funding to provide an overnight support worker and he had to move out. His family watched his health decline severely after a long-term care facility was the only option offered by Social Services.

“Once he got into long-term care and was showing behaviours that he didn’t like living there, they felt the need to medicate him. So he ended up in diapers, he couldn’t feed himself and he could barely even walk,” explained his niece Christie Gradin.

Kryzanowski was eventually offered a temporary placement at a different facility in Saskatoon. After six months and dozens of meetings with Social Services, his family was happy to report he finally found a new home.

“Now today he’s back to being his fun-loving Jerry – dancing and playing his guitar and just having a good time,” Gradin explained in a phone interview with 980 CJME.

Gradin said her family was very proactive in meeting with different agencies to search for the right environment for her uncle. They eventually came to meet with an organization called Light of the Prairies which provides different levels of support catered to the needs of residents with all kinds of cognitive disabilities.

“When we picked him up at the long-term care facility and said ‘you’re moving into your home’ he cheered and he was so happy and he was giving hugs to everybody,” Gradin said. “He was absolutely elated.”

Light of the Prairies confirmed the government actually came through with funding for not only Jerry but two additional spots for individuals in a group home south of Saskatoon.

Gradin said her family is thankful Social Services was able to come through with funding for a placement late in the year and happy to learn two more people will get a home as well.

As for her uncle Jerry, she said he is already right at home and sleeping better in a duplex on a lot with animals and offering many activities and special events.

“I was just there the other day and he was so busy having fun with the staff that he didn’t even have time to talk to me,” Gradin said.