This November FIREFLY is running a campaign that aims to draw attention to respite. Families in Northwestern Ontario are struggling to access respite services because of a lack of workers. We hope to draw attention to this and ultimately get more people signing up to become respite workers.

The Campaign entitled “Space to Breathe” will focus on how respite workers give caregivers the space they need to breathe and re-focus because taking care of a child with complex needs can be very demanding. Keep an eye out for posts on social media from Nov. 8-18. We encourage you to share these posts on your own pages or in groups where they might be relevant, as well as have conversations with people you think might be interested.

For more information on respite keep reading below!

What is Respite?

Respite is a periodic, short-term break to relieve a family of the responsibility of daily care of a family member with a physical and/or developmental disability. Respite creates greater opportunities for all family members to live actively and participate in community activities and allows parents/guardians time for themselves.

Becoming a Respite Worker

Anyone over 18, including a family member, as long as they are not the main caregiver or parent, can be a Respite Worker. An adult instructor providing specialized lessons/recreation without the main parent/caregiver would also qualify as a Respite Worker.

Tasks

The family and respite provider collaborate to determine the best fit for planned activities. For example:

• Staying home with the child while the parents bring their sibling to an extracurricular activity
  • Engage with the child while parents run errands
  • Help with routines
  • Bring the child to community activities

There are so many possibilities when it comes to respite care and activities.

How do I sign up?

If you are interested in providing short term respite for families who have a child/youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or have an interest in providing longer term respite and want to know more, FIREFLY works with Wesway to get people in Northwestern Ontario registered through RespiteServices.com to be Independent Respite Workers. If this is something that interests you, please reach out to Sydney Graham, Resource Development Coordinator at Wesway at 807-625-6677 or [email protected]. We encourage anyone interested to reach out and see if this is a good fit for you.

You can read more on our website by clicking here.