How Ciff’s been preparing to live independently in the community
Ciff, who we support, has been working hard on his goal of moving away from 24-hour supported living - so he can move out of his current home and live independently in the community.
Two years ago, Ciff, who lives with learning disabilities, moved to a Lifeways supported living service in Nottingham, which he shares with his housemate.
When Lifeways first started supporting him, Ciff required support in all areas of his life.
However, Ciff has been determined to reach his goal of living fully independently. When the pandemic began, Ciff chose to stay very busy at home, growing his skills.
Keeping safe
Over the past year, Ciff’s chosen to take full responsibility for completing the weekly Health and Safety checks in his home. Every week, Ciff checks the fire alarms and carbon monoxide detector, like you can see in the photo in the top of this article, and enters this information in his home’s Health and Safety folder.
Ciff’s also chosen to complete the daily fridge and freezer checks. This means he regularly checks the dates on his food - and knows the importance of eating foods while they are fresh to eat. Ciff says he enjoys this responsibility, and that it’s increased his awareness of how to keep his home safe for himself and his housemate.
Increasing independence
Ciff’s also increased his independence in taking his medication. Instead of receiving full support, Ciff is now safely ordering, collecting, storing and taking his medication.
There’s no end to Ciff’s many talents. He’s great in the kitchen, and confidently prepares and cooks his own food. He requires only minimal assistance from his support team to check that his food’s been cooked for the right amount of time before it’s ready to eat.
He also likes keeping busy in the garden. Last year, Ciff and his support team grew vegetables. He hopes he’ll be as successful this year with his next vegetable crop.
After a trial of spending several hours by himself in the mornings, Ciff and his support team are set to permanently increase the time he spends alone, so he’s got more space and independence.
‘An inspiration’
Ciff’s support team are delighted at the progress he’s made towards full independence – and believe he’ll reach his goal to live by himself in the community, with no support.
“I think we can all confidently say that if Ciff continues to progress at the rate he has, he’ll definitely achieve this goal,” says Jade Fidler, the manager of Ciff’s service.
“Everyone is very proud of all the hard work that both Ciff and his support team have achieved.
“Well done Ciff, you are an inspiration to others that are on the road to increasing their independence. We wish you the best of luck achieving your goals.”
About Lifeways:
Lifeways is the UK’s largest team of support professionals providing support for adults in the community.
Our 11,000 colleagues currently support almost 5,000 individuals who live in our 1,500 supported living and residential services across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Find out more about how we change people's lives at: www.lifeways.co.uk
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