One of the hardest decisions a parent of an individual with special needs must make is where their son/daughter will live in their adulthood. While a majority adults with intellectual disabilities live with their parents for most of their lives, this is not a feasible option for all families. While many families have great success caring for their adult children, some parents simply don’t have the resources to do so. Being the permanent primary caregiver for your own child can also create strain on family relationships. Here are some common alternative housing options for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD).
Group Homes
Many adults with special needs live in group homes, which are home-like facilities where multiple adults live and are cared for. My cousin, Nolan, is a 25 years old, has severe autism, and lives in a group home. My grandma visits him there very almost every weekend and is very familiar with the facility, so I sat down with her today and asked her a few questions and my Nolan’s group home in particular. There are 8 residents there, which is about the typical amount. Group homes often provide educational or employment opportunities for their residents. For example, Nolan takes a bus to “workshop” every day from about 9am to 4pm, where he does activities and learns life skills. Group homes generally also work hard to ensure that their residents are involved in the community. The residents at my cousin’s home often go out grocery shopping, go to the movie theater, and play Bingo at local homes for the elderly, for example. Group homes are a good option for many adults with intellectual disabilities because they provide a consistent routine and allow their residents to stay involved in the community.
Assisted Living Facilities
Another common living arrangement for adults with disabilities are assisted living facilities. These facilities are similar to apartments; residents live in their own spaces with their own bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen, but help and support is available to them within the building. This gives residents the opportunity to choose their own levels of independence. For example, they can choose to cook their own meals or eat in the dining hall on any given day. I recently interviewed a friend of mine from Best Buddies named Tim. Tim is 33 years old, has a mild intellectual disability, and lives in an assisted living facility. This allows him to form relationships with other residents while maintaining his privacy. These facilities often provide residents with transportation and social activities. For example, Tim shared that he is the captain of his Wii bowling team at the facility. Assisted living facilities are the ideal option for many adults who are able to function mostly independently but may require minor additional support.
Nursing homes
Nursing homes are generally a much less preferable option for adults with IDD, they may be necessary for individuals who require advanced medical care. Nursing homes are hospital-like facilities that generally provide significantly less social and employment opportunities for their residents than a group home or an assisted living facility.
Host Homes
A less common option for adults with special needs is a “host home”. In these instances, adults with IDD move in with regular families who are paid to host and assist the individual while maintaining their own lifestyles. Host homes are often registered and matched with residents through independent organizations and are inspected regularly. These host families are responsible for nurturing and caring for the individual that lives with them.
Independent Housing
Some adults with IDD choose to live in their own house or apartment and hire a “personal care assistant” to assist them with household or personal tasks. Some individuals with IDD hire their personal care assistant for only several hours a day, while others hire several to ensure that they have access to care 24 hours a day. Personal care assistants can be hired through an agency while others are hired and trained individually by the client. Some adults with IDD do not use a personal care assistant at all and instead care for themselves completely independently.
While there are other housing options out there available to adults with special needs, these are some of the most common ones. Every individual is different and requires different levels of care and independence, so different options are ideal for different individuals.