Giv.care

We are excited to announce our new refer-a-friend program that launched this month! For every new client that gets referred to giv.care, the guardian of the new client, and the person who referred them will each receive a $50 Amazon gift card.

Eligibility Requirements:
⚪️The new client must be on the Community Supports Waiver or the Limited Supports Waiver through DSPD.
⚪️The client must have budgeted codes supported by giv.care.
⚪️Gift cards will be awarded once the client has completed their first shift with giv.care.
⚪️Not eligible for DSPD Support Coordinators or Utah Medicaid employees.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out and ask!

Caregiving is a very rewarding job, but it can also be demanding on a caregiver's physical and emotional health. Swipe the slide for five things all caregivers need to know, and head on over to our blog, (link in bio!), to read our full blog post on ways caregivers can better support and care for themselves through their caregiving journey.

Inclusion matters. 🤟

We are excited to announce our first giv.care event of 2024. Come hang out with us on April 27, 2024 from 9-11am for breakfast and board games with the giv.care crew. We would love to see any clients, caregivers, and support coordinators there! If you're a DSPD client who is interested in our services come me us and see if we're the right fit for you!

March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month! Let's spread understanding and support for the most common motor disability in childhood, ranging from mobility challenges to speech impairments. Early intervention, inclusivity, and access to therapies are key in enhancing the lives of those with CP. Swipe through these slides to learn more about CP 👉 💙

March is brain injury awareness month. Here are some facts about brain injuries to spread awareness, and understanding for one of the leading causes of disability in the United States:

1) Brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in young adults.
2) Approximately 2.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each year.
3) Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, followed by motor vehicle accidents, and being struck by or against an object.
4) Symptoms of a brain injury may not appear immediately after the injury and can include headaches, nausea, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
5) Early detection and treatment of a brain injury can improve outcomes and reduce the risk of long-term complications.
6) Brain injury awareness month is observed in March to raise awareness about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of brain injuries.

There are so many benefits for participating in aquatic therapy, especially for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For this population it can be a great way to get out of the home, engage in the community, and have a fun part of their routine to anticipate.

Other health benefits include:
Reduce impact on joints when compared to other forms of exercise
Improve muscle strength and endurance
Enhance cardio vascular fitness levels
Experience better balance and coordination
Better pain management

If you're looking for some places in Utah to try aquatic therapy check out these businesses:

What if parents didn't have to choose between working and caring for their adult child with a disability? That is a reality with giv.care for our families who utilize our caregiver compensation services. Testimonials like this make everything worth it 💛

Being a full-time caregiver for an individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities can take a toll on someone over time if they're not taking the proper steps to ensure their well-being. Five suggestions for managing caregiver stress are:

❤️Prioritize Self-Care
❤️Seek Support from Family and Friends
❤️Utilize Respite Care Services
❤️Explore Online Support Groups
❤️Establish Healthy Boundaries

We're talking about this in-depth on the blog today, click the link in our bio for the entire post. 🔗

Happy Valentine's Day to all our clients, caregivers, and their families. We care deeply for all the families that intersect with giv.care and are grateful for the trust you have in us to provide reliable care for your loved one with a disability.

If you want to be more inclusive of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, these are just six tips on how you can be more inclusive in your interactions:

1) Educate yourself on disabilities in general. Learn about the people they impact, and the different types, and be open to the idea that you might never know everything completely.

2) Use inclusive language. When in doubt, use person first language, avoid derogatory terms, and ask the person about their preferences. We have an entire blog post about this at blog.giv.care.

3) Don't make assumptions. Don't assume you know everything about a person's disability. Always ask when in doubt. Usually, people will be open to having conversations if you go at them from a place of compassion and understanding.

4) Look them in the eyes when you speak to them. Give them your full attention.

5) Speak to the individual with a disability directly, not to their parent, loved one, or caregiver.

6) Get to know the person individually. Learn their hobbies, and interests, and take the time to know them on a personal level.

February is here which means ❤VALENTINE'S DAY❤ is around the corner! We love a good holiday themed activity that helps clients work toward their goals! Here are 5 easy ones you can do over the next couple of weeks:

❤ Valentine's Day Crafts (we have a blog post with tons you can purchase right on Amazon, check the link in our stories!)
❤ Friendship Bracelet Exchange: Make bracelets and trade/share with friends
❤ Heart-Shaped Lunch: Get some heart-shaped cookie cutters and go to town!
❤ Deliver Cards to Neighbors
❤ Valentine's Bingo/Word Searches: Google has tons of free printables

What are you doing to celebrate with your disability clients? Tell us in the comments below 👇

We are grateful for these testimonials from our caregivers. Our mission behind giv.care is to make caregiving better and easier for everyone. Our state of the art mobile apps help to make caregiving easier for the legal guardian and the clients, and allows them to focus on what matters most: providing compassionate care to their loved one with a disability.

Embracing diversity isn't just a buzzword – it's a commitment to a richer, more inclusive world. 🌍✨ When we prioritize hiring individuals with disabilities, we're not just fostering equality; we're unlocking a treasure trove of unique talents and perspectives. Let's build workplaces that celebrate differences and thrive on the strength of diversity. 💙🤝

Goal setting for individuals with disabilities is not a one size fits all approach. We know that what works for one of our clients will likely not work for another.

That is why we take a collaborative approach when planning goals for our clients. We look to see what works best for the person, their family, and their entire support team to make sure we have a custom plan that is as unique as each of our clients.

At giv.care we're grateful for MLK and the work that he did not only for people of color, but for the work he did for individuals with disabilities as well. Dr. King helped promote civil right issues for Americans with disabilities and gained national attention towards the subject. Resulting from Dr. King's extraordinary efforts in the civil rights movement, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed on July 26, 1990.

Caregiving ≠ babysitting 🎤⬇️ The goal of caregivers is to help a client with intellectual and developmental disabilities reach new goals, gain further independence, and have meaningful experiences out in the community. If your caregiving shifts look like babysitting, it's time to rework what you're doing to be more meaningful and to reflect the goals of your client.

Whenever we get a testimonial about our process and the benefits it has on the lives of our caregiving clients it makes the entire journey worthwhile. We set out on a mission in 2021 to make caregiving better and easier for everyone. We truly love hearing that our signup process and mobile apps have been able to alleviate just a little bit of stress for the families we serve ❤️

There is often an overlooked population within the IDD community and that is the group of individuals who sit at the intersection of both disability and elderly care. giv.care meets the needs of these individuals through compassionate caregiving services for individuals in the State of Utah on the DSPD Medicaid Waiver. Please reach out to us today at [email protected] to see if we're a great fit for your loved one.

There are many resources available to individuals with disabilities in the State of Utah. Some of the most helpful resources are from the following organizations:
⭐️ : They can connect you to basically any resource you could ever need, and will support you in anyway they can. Their staff is 🔥
⭐️ : Provides resources for adaptive communication technology to Utah residents.
⭐️ : Helps connect families to resources and support for individuals that are navigating a brain injury.
⭐️ : Helps connect families that are navigating learning disabilities to testing, resources, and supports.
⭐️ giv.care: The best caregiving agency in the State of Utah for individuals with IDD 😎

Did we miss anyone? Tag them in the comments below so we can shout them out too!

Our mission at giv.care is to employ caregivers who provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities meaningful interactions within the community. We serve clients on the DSPD Community Support Waiver ages 3-99+. We're grateful for our team of almost 800 caregivers who carryout this meaningful work 365 days per year.

If participating in more adaptive sports is something you're considering in the New Year and you live up in , there are three great partners within the community for adaptive sports for individuals with disabilities. Consider looking into:
⭐️Top Sports for Adaptive Baseball, Soccer, and Basketball (link to their FB group in our blog post at blog.giv.care)
⭐️Logan Aquatic Center for adaptive swimming throughout the summer
⭐️ For outdoor skiing and other recreational opportunities.

For more information on each of these locations check out our blog at blog.giv.care.

With the New Year here, everyone is centered around the mindset of goal setting. When looking to make goals for an individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities, it's important to consider these six things:
⭐️ Individual Planning: Is this goal tailored to the unique needs of the individual?
⭐️ Realistic: Can the person actually reach this goal?
⭐️ Incorporate hobbies: This can motivate the person to work on the goal when it's tailored around their interests.
⭐️ Collaborate with Family/Support Network: Ask the individuals who are with the person most if there are things that they see would be appropriate for a New Year goal.
⭐️ Emphasize Inclusion: Do these goals get them out of the home and engaging within the community?
⭐️ Be Flexible: Know that not all goals will work out and that it's okay to change and adapt goals over time.

Happy New Year from giv.care! We can't wait to see all our clients crush their New Year's goals with their caregivers in 2024!

There isn't much of a holiday vacation for caregivers who work day-in and day-out providing necessary care for their loved one with a disability. We see you and the efforts you make to provide quality care each day!

Need some ideas of things to do with all the family time on your hands? Try one of these activities, or something else that is out of your everyday routine. Take a picture and tag us with .care so we can see it and reshare!

We hope all of our clients and caregivers had a safe, happy, and memorable holiday. We hope each of you knows how grateful we are to serve you each and every day.

Our goal at giv.care is to demystify and normalize disabilities, and to help our communities be more accepting and open to those who are different than them. We hope that as people learn and better understand disabilities it will in turn change how they view and interact with those with various impairments.

Merry Christmas from all of us at giv.care🎄