How supported living helps you stay independent
Different types of disabilities affect young people: developmental (autism, ADHD), behavioural (anxiety, depression), sensory (visual & hearing impairments) and physical (cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy). For these young people, moving away from home as they grow up is more difficult and staying independent as they get older is more challenging. Supported living services can help people with disabilities to live independently as they age.
Growing older with a disability
People with disabilities are living longer, as is the general population, as healthcare and services improve. That brings new questions about health, independence and where to live in later life. Sheltered accommodation, like Jothno Care’s housing in Slough, is one option. The alternative is for them to stay in their family home or to move into independent accommodation and have visiting care or live in care to ensure their support and safety. Jothno Care provides person centred supported living care plans. These are tailored to the individual’s physical and emotional needs.
What changes as people with disabilities get older?
Physical health, emotional wellbeing and daily living changes as people with a disability get older.
With physical health, there is often a higher risk of developing long-term conditions, further sensory loss, and mobility. Dementia can appear earlier than it does in the general population and this is particularly prevalent for those with Down’s syndrome, who more frequently develop dementia (Alzheimer’s Society). Users of wheelchairs can develop pressure sores, muscle atrophy and cardiovascular or respiratory problems.
Emotional wellbeing may be affected by the loss of parents or loneliness as the parents get older and less able to visit. There may be changes in friendship circles, bereavement as friends die, and anxiety around change. This is one reason that staying at home in familiar surroundings and among a community that is well-known can be preferable to moving into a residential unit.
Daily living can become more difficult to manage as a person gets older. Personal care, household tasks, accessing the community, reading correspondence, managing doctors appointments and finances can all become too much to manage. Aging parents or carers may no longer be able to support, as they once did, leaving the person with disabilities at a loss. This is where a visiting home carer can help. Where health conditions require constant monitoring, live in care is invaluable.
Planning is important
There are risks involved in ‘leaving it too late’ to make plans for later life. If no plans are in place to support independent living, the person with a disability may have to move house in a crisis, making the change in their circumstances more distressing and potentially losing their independence.
By having the conversations early, the person can be involved in the decisions and the family can feel reassured. Professional carers can plan the right mix of health and social care. And supported living can be introduced gradually through short visits and transition plans, building up confidence and trust in the care team.
How supported living can help as people age
- You can remain in your own home, with flexible support tailored to your needs.
- Care plans can be flexible and change as your needs change.
- You have choice and control, our aim is always to ensure dignity and safety.
- We encourage independence as much as possible: carers do not ‘take over’.
- You can continue to have a community connection in your local neighbourhood.
Person centred support for older adults with disabilities
Our individual support plans are regularly reviewed as needs change with age. We involve the person at the centre of the plan and provide communication-friendly planning e.g. easy-read documents, visual aids, key carers who know the person well. We involve families and advocates in the reviews, setting goals and planning for the future. We find that families respond well to this approach and it can alleviate any concerns about how supported living works. We also work with multi-disciplinary teams e.g. GPs, hospitals, mental health teams, OTs, physios and the local council when they are funding care.
Health and wellbeing in later life
We can arrange help to attend health checks, screening and specialist appointments. As part of preventative health, we encourage a healthy diet and meal planning and preparation can be part of a care plan.
Carers can make medication prompts, provide nutrition and hydration, and support mobility and safer moving around the home to prevent slips and trips in everyday situations. Personal care will cover washing, dressing and continence.
We plan meaningful activities to promote mental stimulation. We can adapt hobbies, encourage gentle exercise, and arrange sensory activities. We can also arrange transport to community groups and daytime opportunities to encourage connection with the local community.
We provide emotional support and plan routines that reduce anxiety. Our carers are trained and are autism- and dementia-friendly. We can provide support around loss and bereavement and access to counselling or advocacy where appropriate. We can put care into place quickly in an emergency.
Help at home includes light housekeeping, laundry, cleaning, and shopping. It can also include technology and adaptations to make life easier e.g. alarms, prompts, grab rails, stair lifts, and more. Our staff can make recommendations that will manage risk sensitively. They’ve all been trained on safeguarding and preserving dignity and will support your choice.
We recognise that long-term family carers have knowledge and experience of their loved ones. We will support family, aging parents or family caregivers with information, provide them with respite and reassure them about the future. We can arrange joint planning meetings to agree goals, communication styles and emergency plans. We keep families involved in everyday life, if the person wishes, with visits, celebrations, and phone/video contact.
Life transitions and end of life care
Needs can increase over time and a transition from home care a few hours a day to full time live in care may be required. We encourage sensitive, accessible conversations about future care, religious and cultural preferences for end of life periods and where the person would like to be cared for. We can work with health and palliative care teams to provide compassionate, co-ordinated end of life support in a familiar environment where possible. Care planning ensures comfort, dignity and respect.
Jothno Care & Support are committed to promoting independence for all the people that we care for. Our person-centred approach means that we tailor our care plans to suit the individual’s requirements. We are specialists in culturally sensitive care, arranging carers that speak the same language, practice the same religious traditions, and understand the importance of dietary requirements. We have long term relationships with many of our service users and their families depend on us for continuity of support.
Our care plans include:
We also provide a childcare service for children with special education needs. Our care team is trained on learning disabilities, autism, dementia, mental health, end of life care, communication and cultural competence. Our service is rated good by the Care Quality Commission and we work closely with local health authorities and councils, e.g. Newham London.
We provide care to an older adult with learning disabilities and the care team arranges his daily care, household tasks, outings to local activities that he enjoys, e.g. the park, cinema and eating out. We also accompany him to Gurdwara and religious festivals e.g. Diwali.
Another example is a young man with physical disabilities who uses a wheelchair. In addition to daily care and mobility assistance, we provide him with mental stimulation and sensory activities and take him out to enjoy activities in London including riding the London eye.
If you need support for a person with a disability who needs supported living services, call our care team on 020 4548 9300 or request a call back. We will discuss your needs and formulate a care plan. We can also advise on funding options.
We encourage parents and families of people with disabilities to have early, informal conversations rather than waiting for a crisis point. Early planning can make sure that a plan is in place for when it is needed.