The UT administration has approved doubling the capacity of the Group Home in Sector 31 from 42 to 80 residents and raising the annual family income ceiling from ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh for a 50% fee concession for people with intellectual disabilities.
The decisions were taken at the fifth meeting of the governing body of the Utthaan Society of Group Home, chaired by chief secretary Hiriadka Rajesh Prasad on Friday. Of the 80 seats, 20 will be reserved for beneficiaries under the fee-concession and economically weaker section (EWS) categories.
The administration has also extended the trial stay period for accompanying parents or guardians to three months, with further extensions permitted wherever required.
To simplify admissions, medical assessments of applicants with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will now be conducted at the Group Home itself. The assessment period has been reduced from 45 days to 30 days.
The eligibility has also been expanded to include persons with mental illness, subject to a minimum benchmark disability of 40%. To strengthen healthcare support for residents, psychiatric and medical specialists from the Government Rehabilitation Institute for Intellectual Disabilities (GRIID) and the Mental Health Institute (MHI) will make weekly visits to the facility for health monitoring.
Parents and guardians will also be allowed to visit residents in their rooms for one to two hours daily, between 7.30 am and 7.30 pm.
{{/usCountry}}Parents and guardians will also be allowed to visit residents in their rooms for one to two hours daily, between 7.30 am and 7.30 pm.
{{/usCountry}}The measures are aimed at making the facility more accessible to families, easing the admission process and strengthening medical support for residents, the administration stated.