BGSU student to study services provided to Wood Lane care givers

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A Bowling Green State University graduate student is going to be studying the support given to those who
provide care of Wood Lane’s clients.
Annalee McGowan received approval from the Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities at its meeting
Monday to study the types of services available to care givers and families of adults with developmental
disabilities who are using services at Wood Lane Industries.
McGowan is pursuing a graduate degree in gerontology at BGSU with a focus on adults with developmental
disabilities.
She will send a survey to care givers that includes questions regarding the different aspects of care
giving. To protect the identity of those participating in the survey, Wood Lane staff will send the
survey to targeted care givers and will receive the completed anonymous surveys.
Her research will ask care givers about areas they would like more assistance, how they learned of
services available, the future of care giving, and the rewarding aspects of providing care.
All costs will be paid for by McGowan.
This is not an evaluation of services offered through Wood Lane, but rather a means to discover what
types of services are needed, McGowan wrote in her proposal.
"This will help us," said Superintendent Melanie Stretchbery before the gave its approval.
Also at the meeting, the board agreed to allow Stretchbery to continue as acting superintendent with the
Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Stretchbery has been doing the job from Dec. 1, 2013 to June 30 of this year while Lucas County searched
for a new superintendent.
But that search effort failed due to the unexpected withdrawal of an accepted offer. Stretchbery will
continue doing dual duties until Sept. 30.
The board also agreed to move its health insurance administration to the Wood County Board of
Commissioners.
It will cost Wood Lane $15,000 to activate its status with Mercer, which will be the new carrier, plus a
10 percent stop loss premium; and $50,000 to the county board.
A side-by-side analysis showed little change in the cost to Wood Lane.
The wellness provisions in the plan helped sway Wood Lane board members.
It’s "a super plan rich with benefits," said board member Ed Metzger, and will "further
drive the costs to employees."
He continued by calling it "a net positive for our employees."
Wood Lane Residential employees will stay with Medical Mutual.

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