Parent to Parent

Essential Lifestyle Planning

Essential Lifestyle Planning….is a way to support a person on a day to day basis, with a focus of what is most important to the person, and their health and safety needs planning can be valuable during times of life transitions. Plans can enable a person with a disability to be assisted in the way that best suits them, particularly where the person has paid assistance.

The information in a plan can become a basis for a request for proposals from a service provider or can be incorporated into a contract between the person/family and the service provider. From the family perspective, the plans give clear information about the emotional and practical needs of how the person needs to be supported and how this is expected to happen. Plans are also helpful for families; they do not have to tell the story over and over again and they can use this as a way to familiarise personal assistants.

Planning alone will not provide outcomes for the individual; rather it is designed to facilitate a secure and effective base for assistance. Families have found there are different ways to plan that suits them best:

These can be as individual; as a family; family and close friends; a parent with the assistance of others; in a small group of family, friends, professional and community members.

Another way is in small groups of parents/family who come together to support each other. This can be very productive, families sharing their knowledge, wisdom and creativity with other families can be valuable and inspiring.

Parent comments……It is so good to have a written plan. I have a lot of important information that makes it easier to tell my child’s story. It helps me get our needs met.

THE PLANS HAVE HEADINGS OF: owen's plan

What's Important to the individual and What's Important for the individual; their likes and dislikes and what works and doesn’t work:

HOW TO KEEP THE INDIVIDUAL HEALTHY AND SAFE
WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW TO SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL
WHAT ARE THE REQUIRED ATTRIBUTES OF THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL

These provide a step by step process for staff and families to follow when supporting an individual, in order to provide consistent assistance. Essential Lifestyle Planning also articulates a quality of life intention. They are most effective for people who have paid assistance, either from home, or in more formalised services, such as accommodation or respite. Plans are facilitated by a family facilitator who has received accredited training in the process.

Parent comments….When I take my son to respite, we take his Essential Lifestyle Plan. It gives me a sense that I have written down all of my son’s daily needs and wants, and that he will be safe and secure. The service appreciates the Plan, and the fact that I took the time to write it. This has seen both the family and service, seeing the plan as mutual sharing of information.

In Essential Lifestyle Planning we have identified 5 basic skills and with 7 tools. One way to think about them is in the skill pyramid, which is below:

Using the tools in the skill pyramid

Parent to Parent offers 2 hour courses utilising these tools. These can be used by families on a day to day basis, at home, at school and in many other situations.