Brain injury patients and adults with disabilities often dream of living independently. They find that they want a sense of autonomy, self-reliance and the ability to take care of themselves, the same as any other adult. However, many adults with disabilities require assistance to do the everyday tasks of basic living, from cooking to getting into bed.
Thankfully, supported independent living manages to combine the advantages of living on one’s own with a supportive environment for people needing brain injury rehabilitation while living with a disability. Particularly for long term rehab, SIL programs are ideal. SIL programs offer adults with disabilities 24-7 supervision and support as needed; however, when they don’t need support, SIL programs cultivate a sense of achievement and self-sufficiency instead of dependence and learned helplessness. In addition, SIL programs are often much cheaper than other options for long term rehab for adults with disabilities.
Supported independent living, or SIL, programs create a community of people living with disabilities, which brings them interdependence, along with a sense of community. In SIL programs, adults with disabilities experience every advantage of a community:
● Vocational activities;
● Social support;
● Recreational activities;
● Identity;
● Security;
● Meaningful social relationships; and
● Community involvement.
Simultaneously, they experience the advantages that only living in a community of people with disabilities can provide: a sense of understanding, mutual support and relationships with other people going through the same thing they are. Supported independent living programs offer the best of all worlds for many people with disabilities; they no longer have to choose between being able to live on their own and experiencing the support that can only come from a community of other people living with disabilities.
FINR offers several comfortably furnished home settings for people living with traumatic brain injury, neurologic injuries or neuropsychological disorders in Florida. The Sarasota-based, supported independent living campus allows adults with disabilities to experience the challenges and rewards of urban life. The Wauchula supported independent living campus is rural and community-based. If a person with neurologic disabilities prefers another option, FINR’s main campus offers many more structured programs for people who prefer that over the less structured Sarasota and Wauchula SIL program facilities.
Regardless of your needs, FINR is the leader in long-term rehab for brain injuries and has a program for adults with brain injuries at any level of recovery.
The Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation, Inc. (FINR) has developed a comprehensive brain injury continuum of care offering specialized inpatient evaluation and treatment for both children and adults.