What is residential habilitation?
"[A] Residential Habilitation Agency is a certified entity that provides an integrated array of individually-tailored services and supports furnished to an eligible participant which are designed to assist them to reside successfully in their own homes, with their families, or alternate family home."
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Residential habilitation works in conjunction with the Department of Health and Welfare to provide services to adults with disabilities. If a participant has never received services before, we can help them through the process of becoming approved through the Department. Once approved, residential habilitation services are completely paid for by Medicaid with no cost to participants or their families.
Skills we help with include:
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Self-direction
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Money management
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Daily living skills
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Socialization
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Mobility
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Behavior shaping and management
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Personal assistance
Once a participant is approved for services, the level of care they can receive is determined based on their needs and preferences. You can learn more about the different levels of care below.
24 Hour Supports
Based on eligibility, participants can receive 24 hour supports that allow them to have a direct care staff present at all times. This allows for constant monitoring to provide adequate care for participant needs. Direct care staff help with behavior management in order to ensure safety of both the participant and others they come into contact with. These supports are also available to those with high medical needs who may needs more intensive care and supervision.
Within 24 hour supports, there are two different categories for level of care:
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Intense supports. Intense supports are 24/7 supervision with 1:1 ratio of care. This means the participant has one specific direct care staff assigned to them at all times. Intense supports are usually utilized for participants who have aggressive behaviors or intense medical needs.
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High supports. High supports are 24/7 supervision with 3:1 ratio of care. This means there may be one direct care staff assigned to up to three participants. High supports are usually utilized for participants who need consistent monitoring, but are more independent in behavior management and do not have intense medical needs.
The purpose of 24 hour services is to provide participants with a safe environment in their homes and community while they progress in their independence. The consistent supervision that 24 hour supports provides helps participants live a more productive life in their own homes as a more independence-oriented alternative to nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.
Hourly Supported Living
Hourly supported living is provided for higher functioning participants with a lower service need. During these supports, a direct care staff works with a participant in their home and in the community for a set number of hours per week, usually between 30-70 hours. These hours can be utilized and scheduled for whenever is most beneficial to the participant. The number of hours a participant can receive per week is determined by their needs and preferences.
During hourly services, participants and staff primarily work on improving independence in areas such as home maintenance, hygiene, meal preparation, socialization, transportation, self-advocacy, and community involvement. Staff provide teaching and prompts in a positive atmosphere that help participants strive to reach their goals in all areas of their lives.
The purpose of hourly services is to give participants the assistance they need to become more independent, learn new skills, and integrate within the community while remaining in their own homes and exercising their independence.