Families sought for St Michael’s House respite programme

ST Michael’s
House, one of Ireland’s largest providers of community based services for
children and adults with an intellectual disability, is currently seeking host
families to expand their family-based respite programme.

Fidelma Kelly,
Social Work Team Leader, St Michael’s House, explains:

“Host families provide
short periods of care in their home to our service users who are being cared
for full-time by their own families.

“This may
involve having a child or adult in your home for one evening a week or staying
with you for a few nights a month. The aim of the scheme is to allow their
families to recharge their batteries and to attend to things that they would
find difficult to do while caring for their family member.

?

Training

Host families do
not need any special qualifications as they are provided with training and
ongoing support, as well as payment for their time.

However, as part
of a recent initiative under the Host Family Scheme, St Michael’s House are
also aiming to secure respite families to care for children and adults with
complex needs.

Therefore, they
are also looking for host families with experience in caring for people with
disabilities, possibly having worked in the field as a carer or nurse. This
scheme is more demanding and the training and payments would reflect this.

Positive

There are
already many host families in the community who have had an extremely positive
experience while taking part in the scheme.

The Sheridans
from north Dublin have been a host family with St Michael’s House for two
years. Niamh Sheridan explained that before she became involved with St
Michael’s House she had little or no contact with people with disabilities, and
had spent 18 years working in an office.

She left work to
care for her terminally ill mother, and in doing so realised how tiring it can
be to care for somebody full-time, and how important it is to get regular
breaks.

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When her mother
passed away she saw an advertisement for the St Michael’s House Host Family
Respite Programme and, together with her husband John, decided to apply to take
part in the scheme instead of going back to work.

Niamh commented:

“Initially I was very nervous about the vetting procedure and training, but
once we got into it I found the process very supportive. We now regularly care
for four children, and they have become a very important part of our family.

?

One of the
children that the Sheridans care for is Jodie from Dublin 13. Jodie lives with
her parents, and due to the nature of her disability needs 24-hour care. Niamh
said:

“Jody and her parents are now like part of my extended family, and caring
for Jodie is like helping out a friend or family member.

Nervous

“In the beginning
we were all slightly nervous, but now we get on really well and have good
communication.

“When the
children come into our home, family life continues as normal. The only
difference is that we are caring for an extra child. I would highly recommend
the scheme to any family that has room in their home and their life for another
person.

?

Matt and Angela
Downey, who live in Swords, are at the other end of the programme. Their son
Jason (15) goes to the Connaghan Host Family in north Dublin. Matt and Angela
both agree that without the support of the Host Family Scheme their lives would
be very different.

Breaks

“It is a great
comfort to know that we get regular breaks from full-time care and we can use
the time to do things that other people take for granted,

? they said.

“We are very
comfortable with Jason going to the Connaghans, and he really enjoys his time
with them.

“It has made Jason much more independent, and the time apart is
helping us all to prepare for when we can no longer care for him in our home.

?

For further
information, or to apply to the Host Family Respite Programme, contact Fidelma
Kelly, Social Work Team Leader, St Michael’s House. at 8770550 or email
fidelma.kelly@smh.ie