Prince Rupert group seeking home sharers
A Prince Rupert service provider is hoping more Rupertites will open up their homes to adults with disabilities.
Thompson Community Services is encouraging people in Prince Rupert to take part in the residential program home sharing, where individuals with physical or mental disabilities move into a person or family’s home and become care givers of the individual, providing ongoing support for pay.
“It creates a different avenue for people to have a better quality of life… It increases the level of support individuals get without having a worker involved because the family becomes the worker,” said Andrew Bell, area manager for Thompson Community Services.
“You’re offering the community and individual with a whole new network of people,” Kristie Ebeling, director of services for Thompson Community Services, added.
Before placing individuals in a home share, Thompson Community Services performs a home study that helps the group make appropriate matches based on personalities, lifestyles, likes and interests.
“We have to find a match that’s going to fit into the family so it will be successful long term,” said Ebeling.
Care givers roles change from situation to situation, as individuals being taken in may have an active role in a home sharer’s daily activities, or may crave something more independent like living in the basement suite of a home.
For safety purposes, people opening up their homes will need to have a criminal record and medical assessment done and should have references.
People or families interested in becoming a home sharer are encouraged to call Andrew at 250-624-9573, or contact him by e-mail at bell@tcsinfo.ca.
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