Shared Living Provider - North Central MA Area

Shared Living, also known as Placement Services, is a 24 hour, 7 days a week support option that matches an individual who needs support with to live in the community in a Shared Living caregiver’s home. Shared Living is available to individuals who need daily structure and supervision and includes adaptive skill development, assistance with activities of daily living, support for meaningful involvement in the community, transportation, independent living skill acquisition such as safety sign recognition and money management, and social and leisure skill development.

The Arc of Opportunity currently supports individuals throughout Worcester County through our Shared Living program, and we are always looking to grow. We presently have one individual that is looking for a new Shared Living home in the community, and we would like to help Adam find a great match!

Adam is an active, 39-year-old individual who grew up in northern Worcester County. He is looking for a home to share with a person, couple, or family that could care about his well being and share some time with him. While he is happy to meet people throughout northern Worcester County, Adam has family and friends in the Winchendon, Chelmsford, Gardner, Lunenberg, Leominster, and Fitchburg areas that he enjoys spending time with and would love to stay in one of those and surrounding areas if he had an opportunity.

Adam has an Intellectual Developmental Disability, and while he can do many things for himself, and does not require physical hands-on care, he would benefit from assistance in making healthy food choices as well as reminders and encouragement to complete his daily showering and dressing routines. Adam would also need support to attend appointments, taking his prescribed medications, and social activities within his community as well as maintaining appropriate boundaries and decision making both in the home and in the community. He needs the support of people that can care for and help him stay safe.

Adam is quite savvy with his iPad and enjoys using it for watching movies, playing video games, and communicating with friends and family. While Adam does require support and assistance to keep himself safe, he is able to make appropriate decisions that can support him to be alone in the home for a up to 3 hours at a time – once he learns his environment – and enjoys this opportunity to develop his independence.

While Adam can be somewhat shy when you first meet him, once he is comfortable, he enjoys spending time with the person or family he lives with and thrives on staying busy. Adam has several interests such as swimming, fishing, and participating in activities such as the Special Olympics and he would be best suited in a supportive, encouraging environment that would enjoy these activities with him. Adam also has an active work history both participating in day programs and par time jobs in the community, and his supervisors describe him as a very focused and a good worker. Adam looks forward to returning to the work force again in the future.

When a great living arrangement match is found, the family or individual will receive a monthly financial stipend in exchange for the assistance and support they provide for Adam. Adam and the identified caregiver will also receive ongoing support from The Arc of Opportunity as the agency that coordinates Adam’s community care. Your home must meet requirements that include but not limited to Adam having his own bedroom and space.

For further details on how to become a Shared Living Caregiver for Adam, please contact Kristen at The Arc.

Kristen’s contact information is below:

Kristen J. Damaso

Vice President of Home Supports

The Arc of Opportunity in North Central

564 Main Street - Fitchburg, MA 01420

Office – 978-343-6662 x1060 / Cell – 978-868-8945