From Caregiver to Family: What Shared Living Really Looks Like
How shared living turns care into connection and family.
When most people hear “caregiver,” they picture someone providing support — helping with meals, transportation, or medication. But in shared living, that role often transforms into something deeper. It becomes a relationship built on mutual trust, respect, and care. It becomes family.
At Alora, we’ve seen time and time again how shared living reshapes lives — not just for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), but for the host providers who welcome them into their homes.
More Than a Role — It’s a Relationship
In traditional caregiving settings, the relationship often has clear boundaries: one person gives care, the other receives it. But in shared living, both lives become intertwined in daily routines, weekend breakfasts, holiday traditions, and simple moments of connection.
Host providers become more than support figures. They become chosen family — people who show up, who celebrate milestones, who sit together at dinner and laugh over inside jokes.
And for individuals with IDD, this environment offers something profoundly important: a true sense of belonging.
A Day in the Life of Shared Living
What does shared living actually look like?
It’s helping someone learn how to cook their favorite meal.
It’s riding together to community events, cheering each other on.
It’s creating space for independence, while still offering support.
It’s waking up in a home that feels safe — and seen.
One host provider described it this way:
"I thought I was signing up to help someone. I didn’t realize how much joy, purpose, and connection they would bring into our lives."
Redefining What Care Can Be
The shared living model flips the traditional caregiving narrative. It’s not about doing for someone — it’s about living with someone. That shift changes everything.
Adults with IDD gain more autonomy, confidence, and community involvement. Host providers often say the experience has changed their perspective on care, family, and what it means to build a meaningful life.
The Alora Approach
At Alora, we’re here to make shared living successful — and sustainable. We thoughtfully match host providers and individuals based on lifestyle and preferences, and we offer 24/7 support to ensure no one walks this journey alone.
Shared living isn’t just about meeting needs — it’s about building relationships that last.
Because at the heart of it all, care feels different when it feels like family.
