Caregivers are on the front line! Show them we care.

[Oregon Becky]

Next month is some kind of ASO housing conference. In addition, the legislature is going to tackle group homes and foster homes and caregiver problems.
 
So I've been reading what DD groups and agencies are thinking up to deal with problems. It seems like more big brother reporting of abuses, nothing to make caregivers feel good about what they do. Caregivers need to feel good about their jobs, the people they take care of, their coworkers and bosses. They need to have hope and not be in a tail spin about how they're barely getting by. The state doesn't really want to pay them all that much so I'm trying to be creative. Happy caregivers mean happy residents. So when I go to that housing conference and listen to all the old tried and failed and tried again projects, I want to have some kind of a business plan that I can pass around and network with like minded people.
 
Here's a list I started for what I would do for caregivers if I was a part of a corporation running group homes or foster homes. Any feedback or fixing or adding is appreciated!
 
Real Life Solutions Care Givers
Triple A style services whenever we can do it, not too
far away, 4 times a year. Rides, battery jumps,
tinkering to see if car can be fixed by support staff
on hand. No towing unless we happen to have a tow
truck driver in our group.
House sitting twice a year – someone to watch
residence, water plants, pet care while caregiver is
gone.
Themed foster homes and group homes, whatever matches
the care givers’ and residents’ passions and styles.
Art, music, farming, theatre, sewing, hiking, service
dog training…..
Second hand depot – we work together to have an Ebay
style store, bring in stuff to sell or trade with each
other and save the money for an agreed upon thing.
Brainstorming meetings to discuss how to make things
better.
A community garden. Land for growing produce. A place
for chickens where available. Or dairy animals.
All money saved from state provided funds gets put
back into making better homes. This isn’t for the
owners to make money. This is for the homes to be good
community-minded supportive life-enhancing places.
Caregivers can bring nice mellow dogs to work with
them.