Enriching Home Care Services: Person-Centered Disability Support in Minnesota

Finding the right support provider can change the direction of a person’s life. For an individual with a disability, mental health need, behavioral challenge or complex support need, dependable services can create more stability, confidence and connection to the community. For a parent, guardian or caregiver, the right support can bring relief and reassurance. For a case manager or county professional, a responsive provider can help turn a carefully developed support plan into consistent, meaningful care.

That is the work at the center of Enriching Home Care Services. Enriching Home Care Services is a Minnesota home and community-based services provider committed to empowering people, honoring individuality and delivering support with compassion, professionalism and purpose. We work with children, teens and adults whose needs, strengths, personalities and goals are all different. Rather than asking people to fit into a standard program, we begin by learning who the person is and what a successful life looks like to them.

Our name reflects our purpose. We do not want to simply fill scheduled hours. We want our services to enrich daily life, strengthen skills, protect dignity and help each person move toward greater stability and self-direction.

How Enriching Home Care Services Began

Enriching Home Care Services began in Minnesota in 2022 with a focus on supporting children with specialized needs. From the beginning, we saw that families and care teams needed more than staff coverage. They needed a provider that could listen closely, communicate consistently, respond thoughtfully and recognize the full person behind a diagnosis, behavior or service authorization.

As our organization grew, so did the range of people we were called to serve. Our work expanded from children to teens, adults and older adults, depending on each person’s needs, program eligibility, service authorization and the fit between the individual and our team. We also expanded the services available through our organization so people and their care teams could access different levels and types of support as life changed.

Growth has never changed the heart of the organization. Our work is still grounded in relationships. We believe progress begins when a person feels safe, respected and understood. We believe caregivers deserve communication instead of uncertainty. We believe direct support professionals need training, clear expectations and leadership. We believe case managers, social workers, guardians, families, therapists and providers achieve better outcomes when everyone works toward the same goals.

Most importantly, we believe people with disabilities deserve meaningful choices and the opportunity to participate in community life in ways that reflect their preferences.

A Minnesota 245D Provider Focused on the Whole Person

Enriching Home Care Services is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services to provide home and community-based services under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 245D. A 245D license is not simply a label. It establishes standards for service delivery, participant rights, staff qualifications, training, documentation, health and safety, incident response and other responsibilities that affect the quality of a person’s support.

Licensing creates the framework, but the daily experience of care depends on how a provider operates within that framework. Our goal is to combine compliance with humanity. Documentation matters. Training matters. Policies matter. So do tone of voice, patience, cultural understanding, reliability and the ability to build trust over time. Person-centered support requires both.

At Enriching Home Care Services, the person receiving services is not a passive recipient. Their routines, preferences, cultural background, communication style, personal goals, relationships, strengths and support needs should shape the service. When a person communicates without words, their behavior, body language and established cues still communicate important information. When someone needs structure, that structure should support success without unnecessarily limiting independence. When a person is working toward a new skill, staff should recognize progress that may look small to others but is meaningful to the individual.

What Person-Centered Care Means to Us

The phrase “person-centered care” is used often in the home care and disability services industry. To us, it should be visible in practice.

Person-centered care means listening before assuming. It means balancing what is important to a person with what is important for their health, safety and well-being. It means supporting informed choice, documenting what works, and adjusting strategies when something is not working. It means recognizing that two people with the same diagnosis may need completely different approaches.

It can look like helping someone build a weekly routine they can follow with greater independence. It can mean practicing how to safely navigate the community, preparing meals together, learning budgeting skills, building healthy coping strategies or creating a plan for a stressful transition. It may involve giving a caregiver a dependable break through respite services. In a crisis, it may involve helping the person and support team identify triggers, restore stability and plan for a safe transition.

Good support is not about controlling a person’s life. It is about providing the right level of assistance so the person can participate in their own life as fully as possible.

Home and Community-Based Services We Offer in Minnesota

Enriching Home Care Services is licensed for a range of basic support, in-home support and intervention support services. The exact service a person receives depends on assessed needs, eligibility, authorization, current service availability and whether our team can safely and appropriately meet the person’s needs. Individualized Home Supports, or IHS Individualized Home Supports help eligible Minnesotans who live in their own home or their family’s home receive support and, when authorized, training in areas of community living. Minnesota recognizes IHS without training, IHS with training and IHS with family training.

Depending on the person’s assessed needs and authorized service option, IHS may address community participation, health, safety and wellness, household management, and adaptive skills. Support can include cueing, guidance, assistance, direct supervision during covered activities, skill maintenance, purposeful instruction and practice.

The goal is not to perform every task for the person. The goal is to provide the type of support or training identified in the person’s plan so they can maintain abilities, develop skills, participate in their community and move toward personally meaningful outcomes.

In-Home and Out-of-Home Respite Care

Caregiving can be deeply meaningful and also physically and emotionally demanding. Respite care provides short-term support when a primary caregiver is absent or needs relief from caregiving duties. Depending on authorization and setting requirements, respite may be provided in the person’s home or in an appropriate out-of-home setting.

Quality respite should be more than basic supervision. The person should be treated with dignity, supported according to their needs and given opportunities for safe, meaningful engagement.

Caregivers should be able to step away knowing the provider understands routines, safety needs, communication preferences and relevant support instructions.

Crisis Respite

Crisis respite is a specialized, short-term service for eligible people who need behavioral or medical intervention and protection when existing caregivers or providers cannot provide the necessary level of support. The service is intended to help protect the person or others, relieve and support caregivers, reduce the risk of institutional placement and help the person remain in the community.

Crisis respite requires individualized planning, coordination and appropriately qualified staff. It may include assessing factors contributing to the crisis, implementing person-centered intervention strategies, supporting the care team and planning for a safe transition. Because Minnesota service and setting requirements can change, each referral must be reviewed based on current DHS policy, authorization, availability and the person’s specific needs.

Night Supervision

Night supervision supports eligible people who need in-person staff assistance and monitoring during overnight hours. A person may need support because of health and safety concerns, behaviors, daily living needs, sleep patterns or other assessed needs.

Nighttime support should reflect the person’s service plan and actual needs. It may include reminders, assistance, cueing, intervention or other authorized support. The purpose is to help the person remain safe while preserving dignity and respecting routines as much as possible.

Adult Companion Services

Adult companion services can help eligible adults remain connected, engaged and supported in daily life. Companion services may include non-medical care, supervision, socialization and assistance connected to the person’s plan.

Human connection matters. Loneliness and isolation can affect health, confidence and quality of life. A reliable companion can provide consistency, encourage community involvement and help a person take part in activities that are meaningful to them.

Homemaker Services

A safe, functional home environment can support independence. Homemaker services may help eligible people with authorized household tasks when they are unable to manage those tasks independently. The service should be delivered respectfully and according to the person’s assessed needs. Staff work within the authorized scope while recognizing that the home belongs to the person receiving support.

Individual Community Living Support, or ICLS

Individual Community Living Support is designed for eligible participants in Minnesota’s Elderly Waiver and Alternative Care programs who need reminders, cueing, intermittent assistance or moderate physical assistance to remain in their own homes.

ICLS can address active cognitive support, adaptive support, household management, health and safety, and community engagement. Like all person-centered services, the focus should be on the individual’s needs, routines and goals rather than a one-size-fits-all checklist.

Semi-Independent Living Services, or SILS

Semi-Independent Living Services provide training and assistance in independent living skills for eligible adults with developmental disabilities or related conditions. SILS can help a person build or maintain skills needed to live more independently and pursue self-directed community life.

Progress may involve learning how to manage a household, use community resources, make informed decisions, communicate needs, create routines or strengthen other daily living skills identified in the person’s plan.

Positive Support Services

Positive support services focus on understanding needs, reducing harmful or challenging patterns, strengthening skills and improving quality of life through person-centered, positive strategies. Effective positive supports look beyond the behavior itself and consider communication, environment, unmet needs, trauma, sensory factors, mental health, relationships and other influences.

The purpose is not punishment or convenience. The purpose is to understand, teach, support and create safer, more sustainable outcomes.

24-Hour Emergency Assistance

24-hour emergency assistance provides eligible people with access to on-call counseling and problem-solving support and, when required by the person’s plan, immediate response. This service can help a person address unexpected situations while continuing to live in the community.

Emergency assistance is distinct from emergency medical services and 911. The person’s plan should clearly identify how the service is used and what type of response is authorized.

Supporting Children, Teens and Adults With Different Needs

Enriching Home Care Services has experience supporting people with developmental disabilities, mental health needs, behavioral challenges, neurodivergence and higher-acuity concerns. A diagnosis may help explain certain needs, but it never tells the whole story.

One young person may need help with emotional regulation, community safety and transitions. Another may need patient support with communication, hygiene or daily routines. An adult may want to improve budgeting, cooking or transportation skills. A caregiver may need planned respite to rest, work or care for other family members. A person leaving a crisis setting may need consistency while the team works toward a stable next step.

The service plan must be individualized, but several principles remain constant: preserve dignity, use the least restrictive approach, communicate clearly, follow the person’s plan, document accurately and treat progress as a shared process.

Collaboration With Families, Case Managers and Care Teams

Strong services depend on strong communication. We work with the people who know and support the individual, which may include case managers, county social workers, Tribal representatives, guardians, parents, family members, therapists, mental health professionals, schools, medical providers and other service providers.

Collaboration helps the team understand what has worked before, what creates risk, what motivates the person, how the person communicates and what outcomes matter most. It also helps prevent fragmented care, where each person has a different plan or important information never reaches the staff providing daily support.

We value timely communication at referral, during service planning, throughout service delivery and when needs change. Families and professionals should not have to wonder whether a provider received an important update. Providers should also be willing to raise concerns early, ask questions and be honest when a need falls outside their current capacity.

The Impact We Work to Create

Impact in disability services is not always captured by one dramatic milestone. Often, it appears in everyday changes. It is a young person completing a community activity that once felt overwhelming. It is an adult preparing part of a meal with less prompting. It is a caregiver getting uninterrupted rest because reliable respite was available. It is a crisis team identifying a pattern and building a safer transition plan. It is a person learning to express a preference, participate in a decision or recover after a difficult day. It is a case manager receiving a clear update instead of chasing information.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of supporting individuals and families during routine seasons, major transitions and highly stressful moments. We have helped people remain connected to community life, provided caregivers with relief, supported skill development and worked alongside multidisciplinary teams pursuing stability and positive outcomes.

We do not take that responsibility lightly. The people we serve allow our staff into their homes, routines and lives. Trust must be earned through consistency.

Our Values in Action

Our stated values include diversity, nurture, health, restoration, impact, compassion, empathy and empowerment. Those values should guide decisions, not simply decorate a wall.

Diversity means respecting differences in race, culture, disability, religion, gender, family structure, language, identity and lived experience. Nurture means creating conditions where people and employees can grow. Health means considering emotional, physical and environmental well-being.

Restoration means believing that difficult seasons do not eliminate the possibility of progress. Impact means measuring our work by the difference it makes in people’s lives.

Compassion and empathy require us to respond to people as human beings. Empowerment means helping people strengthen choice, voice and control.

These values also shape the workplace we want to build for direct support professionals. Staff who feel trained, respected and supported are better positioned to provide consistent care. We expect professionalism and accountability, and we also recognize the importance of coaching, clear leadership and ongoing development.

Looking Ahead: Our Commitment to Minnesota’s Disability Community

Our next chapter is focused on deepening the quality, consistency and reach of our services. We want more Minnesota families and professionals to understand the support options available to them. We want referrals to move through a clear, responsive process. We want staff to have the training and tools needed to serve with confidence. We want the people we support to experience services that are safe, ethical, culturally responsive and built around their goals.

We are especially committed to continuing our work with Minnesota’s disability community through home and community-based services that promote independence, stability, caregiver support and meaningful community participation. As policies, service models and community needs evolve, we will continue learning and adapting.

Growth matters to us, but responsible growth matters more. Accepting a referral is not helpful if a provider cannot meet the person’s needs. Our responsibility is to review each opportunity carefully, communicate honestly and build services that can be sustained.

Make a Referral to Enriching Home Care Services

If you are a person seeking services, a family member, guardian, case manager, county or Tribal professional, hospital discharge planner, school professional or community partner, our team welcomes the opportunity to learn more about the support being requested.

The referral process begins with information about the person, the requested service, location, schedule, funding or waiver information, primary goals, health and safety considerations, and the professionals involved in planning. Submitting a referral does not guarantee service acceptance, but it allows our team to review needs, confirm current availability and determine whether Enriching Home Care Services may be an appropriate fit.

To get started, complete our online referral form or contact Enriching Home Care Services. We look forward to continuing to serve Minnesota individuals with disabilities, their families and the professionals who support them.

Frequently Asked Questions About Enriching Home Care Services

• Is Enriching Home Care Services a licensed Minnesota 245D provider?

  • Yes. Enriching Home Care Services is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services to provide home and community-based services under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 245D. Families and referral professionals can verify provider licensing through the Minnesota DHS Licensing Information Lookup.

• What areas does Enriching Home Care Services serve?

  • Enriching Home Care Services primarily serves the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area and select surrounding Minnesota communities. Actual service availability depends on the requested service, staffing, location, schedule and the person’s needs.

• Does Enriching Home Care Services support children and adults?

  • Our organization has experience supporting children, teens and adults. Eligibility and service availability vary by program, age, living arrangement, assessment authorization.

• Can families refer someone directly?

  • Yes. Families, guardians, individuals, case managers, social workers, Tribal professionals, schools, hospitals and other community partners may contact us or submit a referral. If waiver authorization is required, the person’s case manager or lead agency will remain an important part of the process.

• What information is needed for a referral?

  • Helpful information includes the requested service, location, desired schedule, age, waiver or funding source, case manager contact information, goals, relevant health and safety needs, communication preferences and current support challenges. Sensitive information should be shared only through the secure process directed by our team.

• How quickly can services begin?

• Start time varies. It depends on completed referral information, assessment and authorization, compatibility, staffing, service location and current capacity. Our team aims to communicate clearly about availability and next steps.

Sources and Minnesota Resources

• Enriching Home Care Services website

• Minnesota DHS Licensing Information Lookup for Enriching Home Care Services

• Minnesota DHS home and community-based service waivers

• Minnesota DHS licensing for home and community-based services under Chapter 245D