What Is Residential Habilitation?

Habilitation is a little different from rehabilitation, although they sound very similar. With rehabilitation, someone is regaining skills that they lost. But habilitation is about learning new skills, particularly ones that allow that person to function as a part of normal daily life, and mastering those skills. There may be more than you think under the umbrella of residential habilitation.

Help Developing Activities of Daily Living

Activities of daily living, or ADLs, can be a difficult skill for people with developmental disabilities to master. These types of activities could involve learning to deal with household tasks, making meals, and dealing with personal hygiene tasks. Many of these tasks are made up of many steps that have to be done in a particular order and that can be difficult for someone who is also dealing with a developmental disability. Repetition and assistance both help a lot.

Assisting with Self-care

There’s more to self-care than just activities of daily living, and RHS can help your family member to learn about that, too. Learning what it looks and feels like when self-care is being taken care of properly can be incredibly helpful for your family member. Residential habilitation specialists understand that this isn’t easy, so they’re patient with the repetition.

Help Developing Communication Skills

Communicating what your family member needs and wants is part of living in society, but that can be another set of skills that feel impossible to master. Residential habilitation specialists can show your family member how to communicate when situations are going well and when they’re not going so well. This can be invaluable.

Socialization Assistance

Being part of a community involves social experiences, but for someone with developmental disabilities, those encounters may not have always gone very well. Along with communication skills and other skills, socialization tools and help can make this a lot easier. It might take time, just like other skills, though.

But That’s Not All

There’s so much more that your family member might need specific help mastering, though. Everyone is different and has different skills and abilities that factor into what needs to be learned. RHS can help with learning so much more, like how to deal with mobility issues, motor development, and household management.

Habilitation is about helping your family member to develop the skills necessary for daily living. These skills might not come easily to your family member, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to learn and even to master.

If you are considering residential habilitation in Speedway, IN, please call the caring staff at RSI Cares. Serving Greater Indianapolis Area. Call for Immediate Info & Assistance: 317-471-0750.

Etelka Froymovich