What Does Person-Centered Support Actually Look Like?
“Person-centered” is a phrase that comes up often in disability services. But what does it actually mean in everyday life?
At its simplest, person-centered support means the individual receiving services is not just along for the ride. Their preferences, goals, routines, strengths, and choices should help shape the support they receive.
That can show up in big decisions, like where someone lives or what services they receive. It can also show up in much smaller decisions: what they want for dinner, how they spend their afternoon, what activities they enjoy, or what skills they want to work on.
For adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, those everyday choices matter.
Person-Centered Support Starts With the Individual
Two people receiving the same type of service may need completely different things from it.
One person may want to work on cooking more independently. Another may be focused on budgeting, getting more comfortable in the community, making friends, or learning how to manage appointments.
That is why support should not look exactly the same for everyone.
In Iowa's Home and Community-Based Services system, person-centered planning is designed to involve the individual in identifying their needs, preferences, goals, and services. The individual can also choose who they want involved in that planning process.
A service plan may provide the framework, but person-centered support is what happens when those goals are carried into everyday life.
Choice Is Part of the Process
Having support does not mean giving up the ability to make decisions.
A person may need assistance understanding their options or completing certain tasks, but they should still have opportunities to make meaningful choices whenever possible.
That could include choices about:
What to wear
What to eat
How to decorate their space
Which community activities they want to attend
Who they spend time with
What personal goals they want to work toward
How they spend their free time
What skills they would like to become more independent with
Not every choice will be possible in every situation, and health and safety still matter. The point is that the individual should have a voice in decisions that affect their own life.
Federal HCBS guidance also emphasizes individual choice, community access, dignity, privacy, autonomy, and independence as important parts of person-centered services.
Support Should Build on Strengths
Person-centered support is not only about identifying what someone needs help with.
It should also recognize what that person already does well.
Someone may need assistance managing money but be great at navigating familiar places in the community. Another person may need help preparing meals but be very independent with their morning routine.
Starting with someone's strengths creates opportunities to build from what they already know instead of focusing only on limitations.
Sometimes progress is learning a completely new skill. Other times, it is needing one fewer reminder than before.
Both count.
Everyday Routines Create Opportunities for Independence
Skill building does not have to happen during a formal lesson.
A normal trip to the store can involve planning what to buy, comparing options, handling money, interacting with employees, and navigating the community.
Making dinner can involve choosing a meal, following directions, measuring ingredients, safely using appliances, and cleaning afterward.
Planning a weekend activity can involve checking a schedule, deciding where to go, considering transportation, and making choices about how to spend time.
These regular experiences give people opportunities to practice skills in situations where they will actually use them.
Community Participation Should Be Personal Too
Being active in the community is an important part of many disability services, but community integration should involve more than simply taking everyone to the same place.
Different people enjoy different things.
Some may like bowling, sporting events, shopping, volunteering, or going out to eat. Others may prefer libraries, parks, crafts, quieter activities, or spending time with a smaller group.
The goal is not just to be physically present in the community. It is to give individuals opportunities to participate in ways that are meaningful to them.
Iowa HHS describes community integration as supporting connection, independence, and participation for Iowans with disability-related needs.
Person-Centered Support Can Change Over Time
Needs and goals are not permanent.
Someone who once needed significant assistance with a task may become more independent with practice. Someone else's support needs may increase because of a change in health, living situation, behavior, or another part of their life.
Person-centered services should be able to respond to those changes.
Iowa's HCBS planning process allows service plans to be updated when an individual's circumstances or needs significantly change, and assessment information is used alongside the person's preferences and goals when developing support plans.
That flexibility matters because the right level of support today may not be the right level of support a year from now.
What Person-Centered Support Looks Like at AmeriServe
At AmeriServe, services begin with the understanding that support is not one-size-fits-all.
AmeriServe provides Supported Community Living, Residential Services, Hourly Services, and Day Habilitation for adults with intellectual disabilities. Support is based on each individual's needs and can include areas such as daily living skills, community participation, routines, appointments, personal finances, social opportunities, and greater independence.
That can mean encouraging someone to complete part of a task on their own instead of automatically doing it for them.
It can mean helping someone try a new activity they are interested in.
It can mean providing more support in one area while allowing greater independence in another.
Most importantly, it means remembering that services are being provided to a person with their own personality, preferences, interests, and goals.
Questions Families and Case Managers Can Ask
When considering a disability services provider, it can help to ask how person-centered support actually works in practice.
Consider asking:
How are individual preferences incorporated into daily routines?
How are personal goals worked on throughout the week?
How much choice does the individual have in activities?
How does staff encourage independence?
How are families, guardians, and case managers kept informed?
What happens when someone's goals or support needs change?
How does the provider balance individual choice with health and safety?
How is the individual included in decisions about their services?
The answers can tell you much more than simply asking whether a provider describes itself as “person-centered.”
Person-Centered Support Is About More Than a Service Plan
A person-centered plan is important, but the real test is what happens after the paperwork is finished.
Does the person have choices?
Are their interests taken seriously?
Are they encouraged to use the skills they already have?
Do they have opportunities to try new things?
Are their goals reflected in everyday routines?
Person-centered support works best when those questions remain part of the conversation every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is person-centered support for adults with intellectual disabilities?
Person-centered support is an approach that considers the individual's needs, strengths, preferences, goals, and choices when planning and providing services. The individual should participate in decisions about their support to the greatest extent possible.
Is person-centered planning required for Iowa HCBS services?
Iowa HCBS policies require services to be included in a comprehensive person-centered service plan developed through a person-centered planning process involving the member and their support team.
Does person-centered support mean someone makes every decision independently?
No. Some individuals may need assistance understanding choices, communicating preferences, or making certain decisions. Person-centered support focuses on involving the person and supporting their ability to direct their own life as much as possible.
What services does AmeriServe provide?
AmeriServe provides Residential Services, Supported Community Living and Hourly Services, and Day Habilitation for adults with intellectual disabilities in Southwest Iowa.
Learn More About AmeriServe
If you are looking for disability services for an adult with an intellectual or developmental disability in Southwest Iowa, AmeriServe can help you learn more about available services and whether one of our programs may be a good fit.
AmeriServe International
35 Main Place, Suite 300
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
712-322-0272
ameriserveintl.com