"The opportunity to build our respite care center at the Light House Village will put us years ahead in our plans to comprehensively reach the many families in desperate need for safe and loving respite care. It has been thrilling for me to share with caretakers that more help, thank goodness, is really on the way!"
Barbara Kilpatrick
Executive Director
Rockdale Cares is a volunteer organization dedicated to filling the gap that most mentally challenged citizens fall into. Namely, the gap between simply surviving, and being an active part of the community and enjoying the same positive experiences that other citizens enjoy.
The staff and volunteers at Rockdale Cares are committed to simple and righteous principals: the idea that all people, disabled or not, have the right to human dignity and a life free from physical and emotional barriers. With this in mind, they work diligently to provide opportunities to enhance and strengthen independence and well being for the mentally challenged citizens of Rockdale County. They do this by providing social, recreational, housing, and employment opportunities. The focus is always on an individual's abilities, not limitations. Respect and dignity are words used daily at Rockdale Cares.
The organization offers multiple programs to support the mentally- challenged and their families, including respite care, classes, social activities, therapeutic activities and adult day care. But space limitations have put a cap on the service that is consistently in greatest demand: respite care. The metropolitan Atlanta area, with so many resources in the health care and social service arena, has a sadly small number of licensed, quality respite care centers for the mentally handicapped. There are simply no options for caretakers managing the 24-hour, 7 day a week care required in looking after this disabled community. Even the strongest families can bend without safe and trustworthy care for their loved ones when they need it. A medical procedure, a job interview, an out of town wedding all create staggering dilemmas for caretakers of the disabled. Weekday, weekend, and day respite will allow families to take care of other pressing needs with the peace of mind that their loved one is in competent, caring hands.
At the Light House Village, Rockdale Cares will build and manage a respite group home. In summary:
This building will consist of five (5) bedrooms and for (4) baths, a staff office, common areas, dining area, family style kitchen, laundry, screened porch, and double carport. At least two of the bedrooms and baths will be handicapped accessible. The intent is to provide respite services for mentally challenged citizens on a daily, weekend, or weekly basis twenty-four hours a day. This will provide parents / caregivers a period of relief from their constant responsibilities of care giving.
Maximum overnight living space = 6 people. There is a potential to expand the capacity by building duplicate Respite Group Homes on the site.
The immediate response from the local community to this building opportunity for Rockdale Cares has been warm and generous. Habitat for Humanity has joined the project and over $20,000 toward the building project has been secured and volunteers are stepping forward to aid with framing, plumbing, and electrical and plumbing needs for the new building.
