» Residential Homes
» Community Living Program
» In-Home Respite Program
» Life Planning Project

Residential Homes

More than just a place to live, HGH
provides a home setting with residential
services and support at 27 spacious
houses located throughout San Diego
County, California. By providing comfortable, friendly living environments with varying levels of support and training and 24-hour care and supervision, residents are able to live, work and play in an everyday home setting. HGH operates its homes under the regulations of the State Departments of Social Services and Health Services. Twenty-five of our homes are licensed as Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled, Habilitative (ICF-DD/H), through the Department of Health Services and two are licensed as Adult Residential Facilities (ARF), with the Department of Social Services (Level 4).

Residents are encouraged to participate in activities that match their personal abilities, such as assisting with cooking, cleaning their rooms, doing their own laundry, and planning and participating in recreation and leisure activities.

For more information regarding Residential Services, please contact Marcia Vanlandingham, Director of Residential Services: marcia@guidinghands.org or (619) 938-2878.

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Community Living Program

The Community Living Program focuses on adults who are at least 21 years of age with a primary diagnosis of one or more developmental disabilities including mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. We support these individuals' choice to live independently in their own homes or apartments and are committed to providing the necessary training and support to make that independence possible and maximize their life experiences.

Trained Community Living Counselors provide between 4 and 40 hours of pre-scheduled one-to-one support each month. For emergency situations, consumers have access to a counselor 24-hours a day, seven days a week through an on-call emergency pager support system. Person-centered support plans include (but are not limited to):

For more information on the Community Living Program, please contact Liane Waters, Manager of Community Support Services: liane@guidinghands.org or (619) 938-2889.

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In-Home Respite Program

Families caring for their family member with developmental disabilities in their own homes sometimes need a few hours away to revitalize themselves and be ready to meet the ongoing needs of their families. In 1999, HGH developed a Respite Program that provides families time to go to the movies or to dinner, to catch up on running errands, or perhaps just to rest and relax at home, all with the knowledge that their family member is safe and well-cared for.

Home of Guiding Hands’ Respite Service provides support for individuals with changing health and care needs associated with aging such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke etc. HGH’s Respite Service offers families and caregivers the peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that individuals are receiving personalized supervision, companionship and care from an experienced Respite agency.

Our staffs are expertly trained to support those with changing needs. While in your home, they provide individual, personalized care according to the needs and desires of the individual and caregiver.

At HGH we realize how demanding providing care for a person can be—on time, energy, resources and patience. HGH’s Respite Service provides much-needed relief to caregivers. People can tend to family business, go shopping, go to the movies, read a book, spend one-on-one time with other family members; the list goes on and on.

Familes interested in Respite for Seniors, should contact: Marcia Vanlandingham, Director of Residential Services: marcia@guidinghands.org or (619) 938-2878.

Trained staff members provide support for individuals on a one-to-one basis that is tailored to the needs and desires of the individual and the family. Services may focus on support and training in any of the following areas as needed or requested:

Services are provided for families supported by the San Diego Regional Center. HGH is also willing to hire and train individuals that the family and consumer already know to provide their respite services. Hours authorized per month vary between 4 and 40 hours, depending on individual needs and family support. Please check with your SDRC Service Coordinator to determine eligibility.

For more information regarding the Respite Program, please contact Wendy Smith, Respite Coordinator: wendy@guidinghands.org or (619) 938-2876.

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Life Planning Project

The Life Planning Project is a new program funded by a grant from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. This grant is funded from October 2005 to September 2006. The goal of the program is to assist maturing families through the process of planning for the future of the entire family and specifically the desired future of their family member with developmental disabilities.

Families with a member who has developmental disabilities and is age 30 and older will participate in training and education workshops on planning techniques and services and supports available to them to help protect the future of all their family members.

This program will provide life-planning workshops, counseling and service referrals for people caring for relatives with developmental disabilities in their home. Through the workshops, families will complete the Life Planning Workbook. The workbook will outline their own care and end-of-life wishes as well as plans for their disabled family member. Sessions offered include Why Plan, Relationships and Skills, Housing Options, Work and Retirement, and Make the Dream Reality.

Informational meetings to share an overview of the workshops, the project mission and goals for success will be scheduled throughout the year.

For more information regarding the Life Planning Program, please contact Wendy Smith, Life Planning Program Coordinator: wendy@guidinghands.org or call (619) 938-2879 and ask for Marie regarding specific dates.

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