The basics of eating properly, complying with medication regimes, getting the washing done, keeping a clean and safe living environment are all skills which many of us possess and barely give a second thought too. We are the lucky ones.
Supported accommodation aims to step in and provide its clients with the missing pieces of the equation to enable our clients to lead as full lives as can be achieved, given their circumstances.
Now that we have covered the what! it is time to consider the why.
The current combined Government policies for de-institutionalisation of support for our clients and their return to the community will require ongoing alternative services to be provided. In addition, it is recognised that as the population ages, further pressure for supported accommodation will develop.Many parents who have a family member with special needs elect, initially, to provide for that person in the family home environment. While the parents are younger or in their middle ages this often works with considerable success.
However, changes in the parent’s circumstances and other factors often intervene to prevent them from continuing in this role, and the loved one may, by now, have different needs. Many such parents identify that the major issue to them, is that their loved one will be taken care of, with the best support available, in a clean, safe and friendly environment when they themselves can no longer provide it. It is a regrettable fact that in many such cases the loved one has limited social, commercial and living skills, as the parents have provided a total support role. This subsequently impacts greatly on the choices available for the residential needs when the parents cannot continue in that vital role. It is a fact that the ever increasing stress of the world in which we live will inevitably result in higher incidents of people who will require daily support to remain in the community. That is why we are here at Thomas Henry House to assist with supported accommodation.