Social Recreation programming was frozen by the State of California in 2008 due to the recession, but after much advocacy, it was recently reinstated.

24 Hour Home Care, an in-home care services vendor with all 21 California regional centers, designed its new “Social Recreation” program to provide enriching community opportunities for individuals of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Examples of Social Recreation include person-centered activities that include but are not limited to, playing on a sports team, learning an instrument, or participating in a group class.

Many Social Recreation activities take place outside the home to empower the person served to engage in accessible settings critical for full community inclusion that support a meaningful life. For the first time since 2008, this state-sponsored program aims to go beyond meeting someone’s basic living needs and take their mental and physical health to new heights.

“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the value of not only supporting our physical health, but our mental health as well,” said Steve Barber, President of Disability Services at 24 Hour Home Care. “It’s exciting that this long-awaited service has been funded once again, and we’re seizing it as an opportunity to foster community inclusion in carrying out our mission of ‘impacting people’s lives by making a difference every day.’ We’re lucky to be one of the first vendors to offer Social Recreation.”

24 Hour Home Care partnered with Autism Heroes to develop training for direct support professionals facilitating Social Recreation. Families can select their Social Recreation Coach, and they are hired through 24 Hour Home Care to provide services.

As part of the program, the selected provider, usually chosen by the family, is trained to identify appropriate activities for individuals based on their interests and goals. Throughout the process, they work one-on-one with the individual to achieve their personal goals, promote inclusion in a recreational space, and further the person's skill development. Social Recreation enables participants to learn and practice socialization while having fun and feeling supported.

A few of these goals could be, but not limited to:

• Develop meaningful interpersonal relationships
• Emergency preparedness & response
• Effective teamwork and communication/access to community recreation resources
• Problem solving & adaptability

One of 24 Hour Home Care’s first participants in the program is an 8-year-old boy with disabilities whose goal is to develop, initiate and maintain social interactions with other children his age. To date, he’s made progress toward his goal by hosting a cookie decorating and movie night, attending a friend’s dance party, and going on nature walks with another friend his age.

Inland Regional Center is an early adopter of the Social Recreation program.

“We’re thankful for our partnership with 24 Hour Home Care as we work to reactivate Social Recreation after nearly 15 years,” said CJ Cook, Inland Regional Center Manager of Community Engagement. “It’s truly an essential program that offers a unique opportunity for us to serve the individualized needs of each client through planned activities.”

24 Hour Home Care also provides additional in-home care services, visit 24 Hour Home Care’s website to find out which services are offered for your location.

If you receive services through your local regional center, you may be eligible for Social Recreation. For questions regarding eligibility, please contact your regional center service coordinator or click HERE and 24 Hour Home Care can assist in facilitating a conversation with your service coordinator to see if you qualify. Please note that at this time, 24 Hour Home Care is partnered with nine regional centers to offer Social Recreation and is actively contracting with additional regional centers across the state. For more information on Social Recreation with 24 Hour Home Care, please see 24 Hour Home Care’s blog.

About 24 Hour Home Care

24 Hour Home Care is a trusted in-home care company that provides friendly and reliable home care services to seniors and people of all ages with disabilities. 24 Hour Home Care started in 2008 in Los Angeles and has since expanded across California and Arizona. By putting people first, striving for excellence, and investing in purposeful innovation, 24 Hour Home Care redefines what it means to care. Learn more at www.24hrcares.com.

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