Host Home Support offers a shared living experience for adults, with exceptional care needs, who want a family environment, but cannot live with immediate family members. Host Home Supports provide a setting in a private home that offers support, supervision, training and assistance to maintain individual health and safety, and assistance with activities of daily life as well as behavior consultation and prescription monitoring services, if needed.

 

The HHS service gives those with exceptional care needs an alternative to institutional settings in order to enhance their ability to live as independently as possible, fully participate in a community setting of their choosing and to avoid isolation. The Host Home family provides assistance with independent living skills and supervision that helps the person engage in their community and avoid isolation. 

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Here are some FAQ's...

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Frequently Asked Questions about being a Host Home Support:

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What is a Host Home Support?

A Host Home Support (HHS) is a person or family who makes a difference in the life of an adult (18 yrs +) with intellectual or developmental disabilities by opening their heart and their home, providing the individual they care for with the support they need to thrive and succeed. They become their trusted advocates, caregivers and friends. This special relationship between them and the individual they support is the foundation of the Host Home Support program's success. Our HHS are definitely our greatest resource. They enable us to help individuals to live rich, meaningful lives in the communities they call home, regardless of the challenges they may face.

 

What do our Host Home Supports do?

The supports that the HHS provide are specifically tailored to meet the needs of the individuals who live with them. The actual level of support, supervision and active assistance varies, depending on the needs of each individual. Some individuals are more independent and need less support than others. We will try to match our HHS with the individual that will best suit their needs and the abilities of the HHS.

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Who can become a Host Home Support?

Our HHS represent a wide range of backgrounds and skill levels. They may be stay-at-home moms, empty nesters looking for companionship and a way to give back, retirees, or healthcare and social services professionals. Our HHS may be married or single, men or women and represent a wide range of ethnicities and religions. One constant among our HHS, however, is their commitment to care for and make a positive difference in someone’s life.

 

Do Host Home Supports earn money for services provided in their home?

As a HHS, you’ll have the opportunity to earn money or a stipend at home by opening your heart and your home.  The stipend varies based on the state and the needs of the individual or individuals you support.  As part of our matching process, we will work with you to determine the level of needs you are best prepared to support.  Host Home Support providers are paid a daily rate for each placement in their home.  These dollars are tax free to the Host Home provider, falling under the Foster Parent Equalization Act signed by President Bush (in 2003).

 

What do I have to do to be a Host Home Support?

The first step is to decide if this is right for you.  Secondly, you'll need to fill out an application form that is on this website. After you fill out the application, a representative from our office will contact you to share more information with you and answer any questions you may have.  You will then be instructed on how to submit a BCI or background check along with your fingerprints.   While it varies depending on DSPD needs, the entire process for preparing to welcome someone into your home can take anywhere from eight to twelve weeks or longer. During this time, our team will be here to support and guide you through the process.

 

What kinds of care will I be responsible for as a Host Home Support?

In general, HHS are responsible for basic home care and related responsibilities. This may include providing nutritious meals, transportation to appointments and recreational activities, helping the individual participate in community activities, and supervision based on the needs of the individual you are supporting. HHS are also required to maintain records and documentation regarding the services and supports being provided. As part of the process for preparing to welcome an individual into your home, we will work with you to make sure you have all of the information and materials you need to be successful.

 

What kinds of disabilities do adults in the Host Home Support program have?

The people who receive services in a HHS have varying degrees of developmental disabilities such as intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy. Some may be very independent and able to go out into the community on their own and even have a job, while others will need more support. We will make sure that you are matched with a person whose needs fit your lifestyle.

 

Are Host Home Supports matched with adults of the same or opposite gender?

The matching process is designed to ensure that you and the person who comes to live with you are comfortable so that you can live together as family would and develop a meaningful relationship. Ultimately, you will have the final say over who you choose to welcome into your home.

 

Who do I call if I have an issue or need help?

We are available 24/7 to ensure that you have the support you need.  Each home is assigned a staff member or coordinator who provides case management services. Our coordinators are human service professionals responsible for overseeing the day-to-day success of an individual’s home. The coordinator ensures that the individual’s needs are being met in the home and that their plan of care and personal goals are being followed. They will visit the individual and the HHS in the home regularly. There is also an after-hours coordinator on call 24/7 to respond to any urgent matters that arise outside of office hours.

 

Will the individual need constant supervision from their Host Home Support?

While some of the individuals we serve do need constant support, others do not. We will ensure that you are matched with a person whose level of need fits best with your lifestyle.

 

How long is the commitment to have an individual live with me as their Host Home Support?

Our goal, through our comprehensive matching process, is to ensure that you and the person who comes to live with you know each other well and will be able to live together comfortably. Some of the most successful placements have lasted for decades. Others have lasted a few years and then either the HHS or the individual’s needs changed and the placement ended. In many cases, a lifelong friendship endures.

 

How many people can a Host Home Support have living with them at one time?

HHS can host one or two people at a time and each person must have his or her own bedroom.

 

Are Host Home Supports able to take a vacation? What if I need to go our of town or have a family emergency?

We know that everyone needs a vacation from time to time and that sometimes life isn’t always predictable. Your coordinator will have a close relationship with your family so that your relief support needs can be anticipated and planned for whenever possible. Your coordinator may arrange for the individual to stay with another family for a short time, someone may come into your home to provide temporary support, or other arrangements can be made. In case of emergency or crisis situations, our staff will be there to make the necessary arrangements.

 

What do individuals do during the day while their Host Home Support is at work or taking care of other responsibilities?

Most people who choose to live with a HHS family will also have a job, work training or other activities during the day. However, employment or other day activities are not required and some people may wish to stay home during the day. Our team will work with you to be sure that the needs, preferences and choices of the individual who comes to live with you can be supported by the rhythm of your life.

 

Can I have a job and still be a Host Home Support?

HHS are required to have a job or other source of income (such as a pension or social security).  The state requires that the monthly stipend is not your only source of income.

 

What is the Host Home Support responsible for buying for the person who lives with them?

Generally, a HHS is responsible for providing nutritious meals and snacks, basic personal care and hygiene supplies such as shampoo, soap and toothpaste, clothing, as well as bedding and furnishings for the bedroom. HHS receive a stipend to help with the cost of care. HHS are also responsible for providing transportation to and from appointments and activities, utilities and basic telephone and cable costs.

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