ADEC is pleased to announce respite services will begin November 2015. Respite offers short-term relief for families caring for a loved one with disabilities. ADEC’s trained respite staff members will be available to provide in-home care so family members may take personal time to relax from the busy schedule or simply enjoy the opportunity to grocery shop alone.
The respite program will be directed by Michelle McGuin, ADEC’s Family Services director. McGuin oversees ADEC’s music and recreational therapies, summer camp, after-school, GPS and transition programs, among others. Her goal is to equip people with disabilities and their families with the care and support necessary to live meaningful lives, filled with choice and possibility. The respite program is a natural extension of this goal.
“Our caregivers need a break,” McGuin said. “They need to go out to dinner, go see their child’s sporting event, go shopping for the holidays. I’m excited they’re getting some relief, that when they’re overwhelmed, they’ll have someone they can call who they trust and is trained to care for their loved one.”
The respite program is offered as a waiver service coordinated by case managers. Families who qualify for respite may call McGuin at 574-294-6197 to place their loved one on the respite roster. Each respite staff member will receive training on each consumer on the roster so family members will have more hours to choose from. Upon calling McGuin, family members will receive a list of respite staff members with short biographical sketches and availability outlined for their convenience.
“Our staff members are trained on each unique individual’s care,” said Donna L. Belusar, Ph.D, ADEC President and CEO. “We serve with the highest of standards, and are genuinely privilege to be trusted within the home. A few hours a week of respite, quality time for the individual we serve and precious relief time for the family, will have an extraordinary positive impact.”
ADEC, based in Bristol, advocates for and serves individuals and families living with the challenges of developmental and intellectual disabilities in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties. In addition to family services, ADEC provides residential, employment, guardianship and day services.
