What is Shared Living?
In the Shared Living service, Spurwink partners with caring families and community members to help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities create meaningful and connected lives. This is a Home and Community-Based Services Waiver, funded by Mainecare, in which a community member shares their home and provides support for an individual with an intellectual or developmental disability. The provider receives a $44,650 tax-free stipend along with reimbursement for room and board.
Shared Living offers consumers an opportunity to:
- Develop strong, supportive, often housemate or family-like relationships with their shared living provider;
- Become connected to and embraced by a community;
- Foster unique interests and build new skills; and
- Experience greater levels of independence.
Shared living providers enrich their own lives by:
- Providing a meaningful and connected life to someone in need;
- Elevating the position of people with disabilities by supporting their integration within a community;
- Caring for someone who will bring a new dimension to their home and family life; and
- Receiving a generous annual stipend plus room and board expenses.
How Does Shared Living Work ?
At Spurwink, we provide individualized, person-centered support to the individuals we serve and our shared living providers. A potential provider may be interested in providing Shared Living services to an eligible consumer who is a family member or friend/acquaintance. Other potential providers may not yet have a person in their life in need of this service, but they are interested in becoming a Shared Living provider to someone in need. In these situations, Spurwink has a consumer-driven matching process between the shared living provider and the consumer that is designed to foster placement stability.
We take into account things like gender, age range, rural versus city lifestyle choice, pets as an option, medical and behavioral needs, whether the provider has working or stay-at-home circumstances, accessibility requirements, and individual preferences.
Can I be a Shared Living Provider to a Family Member or Friend?
Yes! Some people may already be living with someone and providing care, but are not connected to support services, while others may be aware of someone who needs care but is not connected to services. Spurwink provides the same opportunities to all providers, regardless of your personal connection to them. In some cases, this can be a good match because of each others’ familiarity with one another.
If you are interested in sharing your home and helping an adult with a developmental disability or autism create a meaningful and connected life, we want to hear from you. Contact us