Supported Living
John O' Brien explains supported living as "a person with a disability who requires long term, publicly funded, organized assistance allies with an agency whose role is to arrange or provide whatever assistance is necessary for the person to live in a decent and secure home of the person's own."
Supported Living Services help individuals exercise meaningful choice and control in their daily lives, including where and with whom to live. SLS is designed to foster individuals nurturing relationships, full membership in the community, and work toward their long-range personal goals. Because these may be life-long aspirations, Supported Living Services are offered for as long and as often as needed, with the flexibility required to meet a person's changing needs over time, and without regard solely to the level of disability.
NorthStar SLS services generally fall into the areas described below.
- Instruction, problem solving and guidance:
- Live in a comfortable and safe home of their own
- Meet their essential personal needs such as health, hygiene, transportation, household work, meal planning and preparation
- Manage their personal affairs including budgeting, hiring personal attendants, and asserting their rights
- Develop and maintain personal relationships
- Participate in community life including full use of community resources, volunteering
- Personal assistance services to help individuals with any self care and home management activities that they are not able to do for themselves such as eating, bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and routine household chores.
- On call support to help individuals with urgent needs such as filling in if a regular scheduled personal assistant is unable to work, urgent health and safety support and assistance to each individual to develop an emergency response system.
Supported Living Principles
A home of one’s own
Choice and self-direction
Relationships
Community Membership
Flexible, tailored services and supports
