Program Components
Recreation
- An on-site athletic work-out facility is available to all residents
- Staff develop individualized exercise plans with each resident
- Individual trainers and coaches are available for additional fees
- Residents will have access to a nearby off-site, supervised swimming pool on a weekly basis
Social Opportunities
- Staff assist residents in developing a list of contact information on friends and acquaintances to have available for gatherings or social occasions
- Residents are encouraged and helped to make weekly social plans
- Monthly large trips to nearby cultural and recreational venues (St. Louis Zoo, Cardinals baseball game, Six Flags, etc.) are offered
- Weekly planned on-site activities are organized by staff
- All activities are designed to expand horizons, challenge skills, and increase resident confidence in the community
- Staff monitor and advise residents to make healthy, wise, and appropriate social decisions
- Annual trip (optional) to Disney World, etc.
Employment/Volunteer
- Staff identify and partner with local companies and organizations to provide appropriate paid employment or volunteer opportunities for residents
- Every effort is made to match residents with an employer or volunteer organization based individual needs, skills, interests, and abilities
- Staff provide on-site job coaching to residents on a semi-weekly basis to build confidence and achieve job success and satisfaction
- Staff work with employers to be understanding, accommodating, and appropriately demanding of residents
Health
- Staff assist residents in scheduling and attending annual physical and dental exams and communicating with medical professionals.
- Staff will offer support to residents with ordering medications.
- Nearby emergency medical services are available to residents
- Staff will make counseling and other community supports accessible to residents
- All costs associated with medical, psychological, and therapeutic needs are the sole responsibility of the resident's family or guardian.
- St. Louis LIFE is not licensed and cannot provide medical or skilled nursing care, nor is it responsible for medical care decisions.
- Due to recent federal legislation, St. Louis LIFE cannot share medical-related information about residents with any person or institution without written permission from the resident's legal guardian(s).
- Residents must be capable of managing all aspects of medical needs, including the administration of medications.
Meals
- Daily breakfast and dinner meals are provided to all residents in the dining room.
- Residents are on their own for lunch. All residents will have access to the kitchen for lunch meal preparation
- Residents are offered advice on and encouraged to make healthy food choices
- Transportation is provided to a grocery store weekly and assistance with meal planning and shopping is available
- Staff assist residents in learning how to cook and prepare a daily lunch meal using a nutritionally-based menu system
- Staff will accommodate special dietary needs to the best of their ability.
Life Skills Assistance
- Staff meet with clients weekly to help them organize and manage their finances, schedules, mail, and transportation
- Staff help residents develop a system to identify and track weekly needs related to hygiene and household products
- Staff facilitate a process for residents to work together to create household rules
- Daily household chores are broken down into steps and a mutually agreed upon schedule is created with staff assistance
- Laundry is checked weekly and help offered as needed
- Staff supervise and assist residents in completing a thorough house cleaning weekly
- Hygiene needs are reviewed weekly
- Residents are educated how to use the local public transportation system
- Regular continuing education classes are offered on topics and issues determined by residents
Library/Computer Lab
- A small library of books, magazines, newspapers, DVDs is available on-site to residents using a check-out system
- The local public library branch is within walking distance of campus
- Regular reading and writing time will be included in residents'; schedules.
- A computer lab with internet access is available on-site
- Staff will assist residents in establishing an email account to communicate with friends and family
- Internet access will be appropriately monitored by staff
- Regular classes are offered on computer-related skills, software, Internet browsing, etc.
- Additional computer training will be made available to residents for additional fees.
Spiritual
- Residents are provided with information about local resources that relate to their spiritual life and assisted with contacting such if so desired
- Transportation to local congregations and synagogues is provided
- Residents are offered opportunities to participate in a faith-based activity on a regular basis
Other Supports
- Residents are required to have their own cell phones for safety, transportation, and communication needs
- Residents are encouraged to schedule at least weekly phone calls with their families
- Staff are available on-site 24/7 in case of emergency
- Each apartment is equipped with an emergency button that notifies staff instantly