28 Nov We Appreciate Our New Hope Family Caregivers!
November is National Family Caregiver Month, and in celebration of the families who care for their loved ones, we wanted to highlight this amazing program offered by New Hope.
Over 20 years ago, New Hope of Indiana launched the Family and Community Services (FCS) program to address the needs of families who have children with physical and/or developmental disabilities living at home. When the program began, New Hope associates provided care in the family home and in the community to children under 18. As the children aged and remained at home, New Hope expanded the program so we could continue to provide services to program participants. The FCS program also provides limited support to individuals who live on their own and do not require 24-hour care.
Today, not only do New Hope Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) provide care in the family home and community, but parents do as well. One of the unique aspects of this program is that it allows parents whose children are 18 and older, and who wish to act as full-time caregivers to their loved ones, the opportunity to become employees of New Hope as a family caregiver.
Penny (a family caregiver employed by New Hope) and her son, Robert.
As a family caregiver, job functions are like DSPs at New Hope. They are required to complete notes, attend compliance trainings, receive yearly evaluations, and report any problems to their team leader or manager. They also are required to work towards goals outlined in their loved one’s behavior plan and document progress towards these goals.
There are many benefits to becoming a family caregiver. According to Trust Paunganwa, Manager of New Hope’s FCS program, the family caregiver role includes a flexible work environment that fits the individual served, the chance for the caregiver to work with someone familiar, an instant camaraderie between the caregiver and individual served, and the opportunity for the caregiver to spend more time with a relative while earning an income. New Hope also benefits from hiring family caregivers because these individuals are often reliable associates and allow us to serve even more individuals with disabilities.
If a family member is interested in becoming a caregiver to their loved one, they meet with our team and discuss if New Hope’s FCS program is the right fit for their family. They then complete an application just as any other New Hope DSP candidate would. If hired, they attend and complete our orientation.
As we celebrate National Family Caregiver Month, we would like to thank all New Hope’s amazing family caregivers. We appreciate all they do and are grateful for the positive impact they have on the individuals served each day.
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