Family Matters Guest Blog2 min readDecember 8, 2022

“What will happen to my child after I’m gone?” 

Parents of children with an intellectual disability often worry about what the future holds, and at some point have to ask the question, “What will happen to them when I am gone?”

In a fast-paced world, with technology at our fingertips, we can quickly access information on a wide array of topics. But for someone with an intellectual disability or their family, getting the right facts can often mean navigating a spider’s web of confusing, unclear, and inaccessible information.

Continuity Care Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting families in Manitoba to plan an enriched quality of life for their family member with an intellectual disability. The organization helps families achieve peace of mind by planning for the future and creating connections that last a lifetime.

Continuity Care provides an invaluable service to the community, by offering families education, tools, and resources to assist with their financial and legal planning, which can help to ensure intellectually disabled individuals are financially safe and secure. The information they provide gives families a place to start, and if they have questions along the way, the organization offers assistance with planning, support, and advocacy.

Continuity Care hosts workshops on a variety of topics, such as:

  • Will and Estate Planning;
  • The Registered Disability Savings Plan;
  • Trusts and Role of a Trustee;
  • Support Networks; and
  • Current disability trends or changes to disability legislation.

Continuity Care helps families connect with community organizations that can provide residential and day services to their family member. They assist families in creating life books or portfolios that tell the story of their child or sibling, as well as helping families develop sharing circles of support for their family member.

Studies show that people are safer when they are noticed, known, and missed1.  Continuity Care helps people develop support networks—a group of people, with a focus on unpaid, natural supports, who are invested and genuinely care for the well being of the person at the center of the circle. This creates safety, as members of the circle know the person at the center best and can advocate on their behalf if needed. The person at the center gets connected to their community through the people in their network, making them a valued and contributing member of their community.

Continuity Care helps untangle the intricacies of information and thus leaves families with peace of mind about their loved one’s future and, in doing so, provides safety and security, both emotionally and financially, for their loved one.

1Source: ‘Noticed, Known and Missed: Strategies to support purpose and connection for people with disabilities’ Cara Milne, 2020

 

Jayda Taylor
Member Support & Outreach Facilitator
Continuity Care

For more information, visit continuitycare.ca

 

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  1. John Wiebe says:

    A much needed, invaluable source of information and help.

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