Respite Innovations
Upcoming Respite Opportunities
For more information or to reserve a space, please email: familyrespite@tillinc.org
Yoga Meditation
Event Details: Sunday, October 6, 1:45-3pm
Registration Required. To register, email: familyrespite@tillinc.org
Please join us from 1:45pm - 3:00pm on Sunday, October 6, at Blue Lotus Healing Arts for a class focused on breathing and relaxation techniques, along with gentle stretching. This class is perfect for beginners as well as experienced yoga students. Located at 945 Great Plain Avenue in Needham, on the second floor, Blue Lotus Healing Arts’ sun-filled studio and expert teacher will provide caregivers the time and space to find a moment of peace, calm, and connection with other family caregivers. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to relax and treat yourself.
Dads Supporting Dads
Event Details: Sunday, October 20, 1-2pm on Zoom
Learn more and register by emailing: familyrespite@tillinc.org
If you’re the dad of a child with a disability and are interested in connecting with other dads, join us for an informal discussion group. We know from experience that many dads don’t have the time or opportunity to meet and talk to other dads. But this type of social interaction is an important way to build camaraderie and to realize that many other families struggle with issues relating to parenting a child with disabilities. Moderated by a professional clinician, this group will provide an opportunity for connection, support, feedback and growth from other dads sharing similar challenges. The group may facilitate the development of new skills, approaches, mindsets and confidence. It’s an informal “safe space” to discuss parenting highs and lows. It’s important to know you’re not alone and talking to others who understand your unique challenges can be tremendously beneficial to your mental wellbeing.
Top Golf – Free Event with Respite Care Included
Event Details: Saturday, December 14, from 11:30am-2pm
We have reached capacity for this event. Join our waiting list by emailing: familyrespite@tillinc.org
Join us at Topgolf Boston-Canton, for an early afternoon of golf, lunch and camaraderie. Top Golf’s hitting bays are heated and welcoming to both beginner and experienced golfers. You’ll take aim at the giant outfield targets and the high-tech balls will score themselves. Use Top Golf’s complimentary clubs or bring your own.
TILL will provide the respite staff to stay with your family member, or TILL can pay for a caregiver you already know such as a family member or friend to provide care or your loved one at home while you are at Top Golf. This program is available at no cost to your family thanks to funding from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Respite Innovations Grant.
Respite Cleaning Service
Learn more and register by email: familyrespite@tillinc.org
Being a full-time caregiver can make finding time for chores and errands difficult. Your limited time off should be for rest and enjoyment, not more work. Let us help with housecleaning so you can recharge! We are offering 3-hour blocks of housecleaning by Four Points Cleaning Service to anyone who is a full-time caregiver and lives within an hour of Waltham, MA. You can sign up for a one-time cleaning or you can take advantage of this service monthly through March 2025!
What you need to do:
- Choose the date and time for cleaning.
- List your priority tasks (e.g., bathrooms, kitchen, floors).
- Inform cleaners of any product sensitivities or preferences.
- Tidy up before they arrive (clear countertops, secure valuables, no dirty dishes).
- Decide whether to stay or leave during the cleaning.
Respite Personal Trainer Service
We have reached capacity for this service.
Take some time off while your loved one enjoys four one-hour-long personal training sessions at Inclusive Fitness in West Roxbury, free of charge. This unique gym offers one-on-one personal training to teens and adults with physical and/or developmental disabilities. Your loved one will build confidence and independence while they build strength. And while they are exercising with a personal trainer who specializes in working with people with disabilities, you have time to do errands, read a book, or even use the fitness equipment at the gym.
Sibling Social Event - Free Event with Respite Care Included
Event Details: Sunday, November 17, from 3-6pm
Registration Required. To register, email: familyrespite@tillinc.org
Having a sibling with a disability isn’t something that all teens have in common, so if that’s your experience it can be tough to talk about with your friends. We’d like to give teens who share this reality a chance to get together in a judgment free, fun atmosphere at Level 99 in Natick for an afternoon of gaming, socializing and enjoying delicious food with peers who “get it.” We invite teens who have a sibling with a disability to join us on November 17th at Level 99 at the Natick Mall from 3pm – 6:30 pm for 2 hours of gaming followed by dinner and a chance to talk to other teens who share many of your experiences. Bring a parent who can use the time to meet other parents while enjoying refreshments, or to do errands at the mall, or even participate in the games.
Overnight Respite Getaway - Free Event with Respite Care Included
Please Note: Overnight Respite Getaway dates are now full. If you are interested in an Overnight Respite Getaway you may request a spot on our waiting list by emailing: familyrespite@tillinc.org
Our Overnight Respite Getaway gives families a much-needed night off and an opportunity to meet other families who share similar experiences. You will be treated to a room at the Residence Inn in Burlington, MA, conveniently located at 400 District Avenue, right next to the Burlington Mall. After check-in, you'll have the night to yourselves to go out to dinner, do errands, see a movie, or relax at the hotel and use the fitness room and indoor swimming pool. What you do is totally up to you. In the morning, enjoy a hot breakfast and join a small group of other family caregivers in a social connections group to share experiences and discuss challenges and successes with one another. All rooms have a kitchen, king-size bed and pullout couch. TILL will provide the respite staff or will pay a stipend for a caregiver you already know, such as a family member or friend, to provide care for your loved one at home. The Overnight Respite Getaway is provided at no cost to your family. *Upcoming Getaway Dates: September 14-15 / October 12-13 / November 9-10 / December 7-8
Spa Day Away - Free Event with Respite Care Included
Please Note: Spa dates are now full. If you are interested in a Spa Day Away you may request a spot on our waiting list by emailing: familyrespite@tillinc.org
Event Details: Selected Sunday Afternoons / 1:30pm – 4:30pm* / Encore Boston Spa / Third Floor – 1 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149
Please join us at the Encore Boston Spa where you will be treated to an afternoon of elegance, calm and relaxation. Voted Best of Boston by Boston Magazine, this spa has relaxation rooms, a sauna, a steam room and a hot tub – all available to you (don’t forget to bring a bathing suit)! Arrive at 1:30pm to begin enjoying your spa day! At 2:30, you will be treated to a 90-minute Balancing Massage. After your massage, you can get yourself ready to re-enter the world using their ladies or men’s lounge, complete with shower/changing facilities and high-end products.
The Encore Boston has free parking available for spa guests and is also accessible via public transportation. A free shuttle is available from the Wellington Station stop on the orange line or from Chinatown. And a free water shuttle is available from Long Warf in Boston.
TILL will provide the respite staff to stay with your family member, or TILL can pay for a caregiver you already know such as a family member or friend to provide care or your loved one at home while you are at the spa. This program is available at no cost to your family thanks to funding from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Respite Innovations Grant.
*Please note that departure time is flexible.
Coming Soon! Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Holiday Party: Family celebration on January 25, 2025, at the Sheraton Needham. Details coming soon!
Take a Look at Some of Our Recently Completed Respite Programming!
Overnight Respite Getaway
We have completed three of our overnight getaways! (5/4-5/5; 6/8-6/9; 7/13-7/14) Family caregivers and their guests were treated to a night away at the Residence Inn in Burlington, MA. Participants loved having a night to themselves to go out to dinner, shop, see a movie, or relax at the hotel and use the fitness room and indoor swimming pool. After a hot breakfast, family caregivers were invited to join other Respite Getaway participants in a social connections group to share experiences and discuss challenges and successes with one another. To make this overnight getaway possible, TILL provided the respite staff or paid a stipend for a caregiver, family member or friend, to provide respite care in the family's home.
Golf & Gab Respite - Free Event with Respite Care Included
This event happened Sunday, June 23, 2024, at Puttshack at the Natick Mall, when 18 family caregivers joined us for upscale, tech infused mini golf and a delicious lunch. The semi-private seating area was conducive to talking to other family caregivers, making new social connections and discussing shared experiences. TILL provided respite staff if needed or a gift card stipend to family members or friends who provided care. This Golf & Gab outing (for adults only) encouraged caregivers to take a break, enjoy themselves and meet others who share similar experiences. Thank you to all of the family caregivers who attended!
Mother's Day High Tea Treat
This event was designed for moms who need a minute away from all that comes with being a caregiver. The Tea Leaf Tea Room and Art Gallery, 487 Moody St., in Waltham, provided the perfect venue for Afternoon Tea. The moms who participated had the opportunity to come together to relax, meet other moms who share similar experiences, and enjoy a lovely lunch.
TILL provided respite staff or paid a stipend to cover the cost of a caregiver a family already knows. Having trusted respite care in place is key to enable caregivers to take a break from the demands of caregiving - knowing their loved-one is in good hands.
Free April Vacation Program for Children of all Abilities! Grades K-6
Our vacation program was held at Bridgeview Apartments, 330 Rutherford Ave., in Charlestown. The three-day program included free play, arts & crafts, games and movies with a performance each morning featuring:
- Music by Denya LeVine
- Historic New England
- Animal Adventures
