Respite Services: Community Industries Corporation

RESPITE GIVES FAMILIES A BREAK

Caring for a child or adult with a disability is often rewarding, but if the caregiver isn't able to "take a break", then stress will begin to adversely effect the quality of their life. Respite care helps families deal with the stress of caregiving and is highly valued by families. CIC's Respite Service sends providers into a family's home to temporarily care for the family member who has a developmental disability. The regular caregiver can then spend time in other ways.

They may...

Attend a parent-teacher conference
Take a class they need to advance in their job
Schedule a doctor's appointment
Celebrate an anniversary

CIC'S ROLE

CIC Respite Services CIC is a not-for profit company with a fortyone year history of providing Portage County residents with quality service for people with disabilities and their families. CIC's Respite Service.

Meets with all respite families to assess their needs
Employs people as providers that the family already knows and trusts
Maintains a list of other qualified respite providers
Matches providers and families
Arranges respites
Assists the family and their funding source in monitoring their respite use.
Pays providers from the hours allocated to the family.
Maintains all employment and financial records, and meets all legal obligations
Provides a contact person to answer questions from family, providers or service coordinators

RESPITE PROVIDERS

Finding and keeping good respite providers is essential to providing the kind of care families want for their loved ones. CIC understands this and consequently all respite providers must:

Be at least 18 years of age
Pass a comprehensive caregiver background check
Provide three references
Have had a TB test within the past year
Go through an interview and, if chosen, a company orientation
Meet with, and be approved by, the family before starting to work

EMPOWERING FAMILIES

CIC believes in family empowerment, consequently:

CIC, when the family requests, orients and employs the family's friends and relatives as providers
CIC treats the family as the experts on caring for their loved one. The family trains providers to the specific needs of their family member
CIC's Respite Service is an "as requested" service. Families request specific dates and times and CIC works to meet their request.
CIC families have the choice of either contacting their providers themselves or having CIC arrange their respites for them.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Contact: Judy Ziese
Phone: 715-344-4563 or 715-344-3577
Fax: 715-344-4250
TTY: 715-344-8584
Email: cic@communityindustries.org