INDEPENDENT LIVING
At Independence Association we believe everyone, regardless of ability, has the right to pursue a meaningful life in his or her chosen community. Our program was developed to meet individuals’ needs with varying levels of support. These supports include learning how to do such things as budgeting and banking, menu planning and grocery shopping, assistance with medical/dental/psychiatric appointments, problem solving, independent living skills assessments, medication management, housing, community resources, and much more.
The goal of the Independent Living Program is to foster as much independence in an individual so that eventually, if possible, support can be decreased and the individual can move successfully along the continuum of care.
Individuals in the Independent Living Program live in rental apartments, of which there are many in the Bath/Brunswick area as well as the surrounding communities. We work closely with the Brunswick and Bath Housing Authorities, and their Section 8 housing voucher programs. There are also several apartment buildings in the area which have HUD (Housing and Urban Development) subsidies. Independence Association operates two apartment buildings located in-town Brunswick.
Independence Association’s two buildings offer rental units with one or two bedrooms as well as access to a recreation room and on site laundry facilities.
Staffing hours are determined through the team process. Staff members in the program work Tuesday-Saturday or Sunday-Thursday to ensure the program is able to provide support services seven days a week. Limited support hours are offered on recognized holidays.
Services and Supports offered by the Independent Living Program
Independent Living staff work with individuals to help them learn life skills they need to live as independently as possible. Once basic skills are mastered focus is then turned to learning other needed skill sets while maintaining and enhancing skills already acquired. This includes accessing community resources and promoting community inclusion.
Support is offered but not limited to the following:
Housing:
Assistance locating, obtaining subsidy and moving arrangement to a local apartment or home.
Personal Care:
Teaching basic hygiene skills and other activities of daily living.
Household Management:
Assistance in learning how to maintain one’s own apartment/home on a daily basis.
Food Procurement/Nutrition:
Assistance with learning how to plan healthy well balanced meals that meet individual dietary needs, grocery shopping, nutrition, cooking, and proper food storage.
Health Care:
Assistance in maintaining optimal health and/or the coordination of services provided by community health professionals.
Financial Management:
Assistance with learning to manage personal accounts, budgeting of monies, bill paying, benefits, and other funding sources as appropriate.
For more information on our Independent Living Program please contact us at 207-725-4371.