Individualized Home Supports (IHS) services are designed to help clients grow their independent living skills, like maintaining a routine, keeping a clean home, and engaging with their community. These services promote valuable life skills that will last a lifetime.
There are all sorts of essential life skills we encourage through our IHS services and home support training programs. Let’s get into it.
Top life skills covered in IHS training
- Household management: From making the bed to washing the dishes, maintaining a clean and orderly household is one major skill we cover with our IHS services.
- Social skills: Working with a support professional is a great way to practice social skills. We promote one-on-one communication skills throughout our time together as well as group social skills with community events and regular outings.
- Appointments: Being about to set up and show up to appointments on time is a major life skill required for independent living. We help clients keep track of their appointments and show up to them when it’s time.
- Business/paperwork skills: Bills, mail, and other paperwork aren’t fun, but it is essential for independent living. We assist clients with their mail and bills to make sure their rent is paid and important paperwork is filed on time.
- Cooking: Basic cooking skills are a great way to grow and maintain your independence. We love cooking and baking together with our clients.
- Routine: We help our clients create and stick to a routine. Even a basic routine is beneficial for clients and helps them learn time management, discipline, and independent living skills.
- Self-care skills: While we don’t assist with medication, bathing, or other physical care services that a PCA might offer, we encourage self-care through healthy eating, home cooking, movement, and social activities.
- Relational maintenance: Relationships with family and friends are crucial for mental health and well-being. Our IHS with Family Training program helps build the natural bonds between family members and promotes family involvement with their loved one’s support.
- Community engagement: We love getting out in the community with our clients. Whether it’s going to the zoo, joining a local pottery class or other club, or volunteering together, these are great ways to help our clients live enriched lives and practice social skills.
- General independence: We promote general independence by letting our clients take the reins and not doing everything for them. Hands-on experience is often the best learning opportunity, which is why we love doing activities together.
Why these skills matter for long-term independence
These life skills form the groundwork for independent living. Being able to support oneself by maintaining a routine, a safe environment, healthy relationships, etc., is the first step toward gaining or relearning independence, which is our goal for your loved one at ECCG.
We’ve found that our clients want to feel successful and like they’re learning, improving, and getting more independent every day. As support providers, that’s our goal, too, which is why we provide success-driven support services.