Lifesharing Program
The Lifesharing program (also known as Family Living) is an alternative
to living in a residential home. Families can provide this service to
individuals with mental retardation. For their involvement, the
Lifesharing Provider receives a monthly stipend for services rendered.
Currently, there are many Lifesharing homes in the Hope continuum of
services.
Placements are made using a “matching” process, which has proven to be
successful with the families and individuals. To become a Lifesharing
Provider, an application is submitted, after contacting the agency. A
Hope Enterprises Inc. employee conducts a family study, which provides
information about the family, their home, and activities. This assists
in making the right match between individual and family. Individuals
referred to the Lifesharing Program will have the opportunity to visit
with the family, prior to moving in, to insure that this living
situation suits everyone’s lifestyle and needs.
Success Story
One of our successful Lifesharing placements is Bob. Bob came to Hope as
a troubled young man from a broken home. As he was growing up, Bob began
to have behavior problems, which resulted in a placement in a children’s
home. Behaviors continued which could not be controlled. Bob was sent
from one home to another, which never proved to help him. Bob came to
Hope’s Lifesharing program when he was 20 years old. He was
overweight, quite aggressive, and lacked the desire to learn new
things. Bob moved into a home with the Smith family. The Smiths did not
do things the way Bob had experienced them previously. The family worked
slowly with Bob and he was incorporated into their family setting. After
time, Bob lost a lot of weight. He wore new clothing that he felt good
about wearing. Bob became part of the family unit and routines were
easier to do. Now, Bob is the “grill master,” doing a fine job with
outdoor cooking. He looks forward to helping to cut the grass. According
to the Smiths, they wouldn’t be the same had Bob not become a part of
their lives.
Questions About Lifesharing Program
For questions about the Lifesharing program, please contact dbartlett@heionline.org
