Life Sharing

About Life Sharing

Life Sharing offers a wonderful opportunity for individuals with disabilities to live in a home – as part of a family and engaged with their community.  EHCA assists with all guidance and resources to support, encourage, and build this relationship.

There are two different types of Life Sharing opportunities:

Matched Life Sharing

This program supports families who wish to place their loved ones in surrogate care. The Matched Life Sharing program carefully matches a person who needs supervised living with a provider family that receives a tax-exempt stipend to provide ongoing care in their home. Providers can be families, committed couples, or a single person.

Individuals receive daily life skills instruction, therapies if needed, and opportunities to join their community. They grow and thrive in a home environment as part of a caring family. Life Sharing providers offer not just a place to live, but full family participation and community inclusion. They find their lives enriched by caring for individuals with disabilities in their homes.

Life Sharing providers do not replace or supersede the participant’s biological family. Life Sharing opens the door to new and enriching relationships with the provider family while maintaining family ties. When family members cannot care for a loved one at home but aren’t sure a group residence is the right choice, Life Sharing is a secure and life-enhancing option.

Family Life Sharing

Family Life Sharing assists families who are already taking care of their loved one with a disability in the family home. Family Life Sharing provides financial support for qualifying families, which include:  Parents, Step-Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, Aunts, Uncles, etc.

We Offer

Free training, agency support, and a paid monthly stipend.

Questions?

Call Heather Marinelli 814-713-8408, email heather.marinelli@ehca.org, or click the link below and reference Life Sharing on the contact form.  If you’d like to download the application, click here.  (Online application coming soon!)