Our guide to the benefits of residential care for people with disabilities

In the UK, residential care is a service available for adults living with disabilities who, because of their complex support needs, are not able to live independently in their own home. In this article, we’ll share the benefits of residential care, hear from some of our team, and share the success stories of people who’ve successfully made the move. At Lifeways we’re proud to offer residential care as part of our support, empowering people to lead happy, fulfilling and more independent lives.

What is residential care?

Residential care is suitable for adults who require daily support for their complex conditions. Both accommodation and 24/7 support are provided as part of residential care, with specially adapted locations that create safe and welcoming environments. At Lifeways we’re proud to offer residential care as one of our support services alongside supported living, empowering adults living with complex needs to lead happy, fulfilling and more independent lives.

Residential locations tend to be communal-living homes, with a team of staff on hand to support all of the residents and their support needs. Each person will have their own bedroom (and often an ensuite bathroom), and will share the communal areas of the property, such as the kitchen, dining, and living room with the other residents. This arrangement ensures each individual has their own privacy when they need it, whilst also providing the opportunity to socalise and spend time with others.

What are the benefits of choosing residential care?

For adults living with disabilities such as autism, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, an acquired brain injury, and mental health conditions, residential care has a number of benefits.

Having a specialist team available 24/7 means individuals always have the right level of support to suit their needs. The type of support provided will vary from person to person, but can include everyday tasks such as personal care, taking medication, and help with household chores, through to empowering people to enjoy their favourite hobbies, activities, and spending more time in their local community.

Brooke is a Team Leader at Whitwood Grange in Castleford, and is one of the people on-hand to offer the support that our residents need, including Mark. Mark has lived at Whitwood Grange for seven years, and first arrived in Castleford wanting to develop his independence. “In order to do that, we’ve looked into activities which Mark enjoys doing,” she said. “Mark really enjoys creating plant boxes for his garden which he makes up in his work shed. He also likes to bake chocolate chip cookies, and enjoys looking after his fish.”

The level of support we offer is tailored to each individual depending on their unique needs and ambitions, ensuring everyone leads a fulfilling life learning new skills, making new friends and increasing independence.

As Tracy Halford, manager of one of our residential care locations explains, “We start by finding out what a person’s skill base is, what they want to do in the future, and what skills they want to learn. Some people might need help with their social skills, some with budgeting. It’s finding out what they want to do, and how we’re going to get them there - and our support is always bespoke to each individual”.

The communal-living style of accommodation brings benefits too, as it means there’s always like-minded people around to spend quality time with. We see lots of friendships and confidence grow at Lifeways, with the people we support enjoying time together with shared interests and day trips. Read Paul and Julian’s story to see how a shared love of gardening has created a blossoming friendship.

How can Lifeways support?

Our specialist residential care is suitable for people who will benefit from 24/7 specialist support. Each of our homes have been carefully designed to keep the people we support safe and comfortable whilst helping them to build new skills, with many containing adaptations such as sensory rooms and ceiling track hoists. Some of our homes also have the use of assistive technology where possible which further aids independent living.

Here at Lifeways, we have residential care locations across the UK in the heart of communities, both in city and rural settings. We understand how important it is to choose the right location, and so as part of the move-in process we encourage visits to look around potential options and to meet the team and current residents. You can find out more on our move-in process by visiting our page on residential care.

Where can I find out more?

If you think residential care could be right for your loved one, you will need to first get in touch with your local authority who will carry out an assessment to determine if residential care is the most suitable option.

If you’d like to learn more about the support Lifeways can provide, please get in touch today and one of our friendly team members will be happy to help.