Individualized Home Supports (IHS)
Individualized Home Supports (IHS) is a service that helps individuals with disabilities live safely and successfully in their own homes and communities. IHS focuses on person-centered, individualized assistance with daily living activities, health and safety needs, and community participation. Services are delivered based on the person’s assessed needs and documented in their Coordinated Services and Supports Plan (CSSP) and Support Plan Addendum. IHS may include direct support, skill development, monitoring, cueing, and supervision, and it is intended to promote independence, stability, and quality of life while preventing unnecessary institutionalization.
- With training: Individualized Home Supports with Training provides structured, goal-oriented instruction to help a person learn and improve the skills needed for daily living and greater independence. Staff actively teach, model, prompt, and reinforce skills such as personal hygiene, meal preparation, household management, medication self-management, budgeting, community navigation, and social interaction. Progress is measurable and documented, with clear outcomes tied to the person’s support plan. This service is appropriate when the individual has the capacity to gain new skills or increase independence over time through consistent training and support.
- Without training: Individualized Home Supports without Training focuses on direct assistance and support rather than skill development. Staff provide hands-on help, supervision, cueing, or monitoring to ensure the person’s health, safety, and daily needs are met when learning new skills is not a primary goal. This may include assistance with personal care, meal preparation, household tasks, and safety monitoring. This service is appropriate when the individual requires ongoing support to maintain stability and safety, but is not expected to achieve significant increases in independence through training.
- With family training: Individualized Home Supports with Family Training combines direct support to the person with training and education for family members or caregivers who provide unpaid support. The goal is to equip families with the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to safely and effectively support their loved one at home. Training may include instruction on daily routines, behavior support strategies, communication techniques, health and safety practices, and use of adaptive tools or resources. This service strengthens the caregiving environment, promotes consistency in supports, and helps sustain the person’s ability to live successfully in their home and community.
