If you've become disabled, here are two benefits you could experience if you were to use a supported independent living (SIL) service.

You could have access to help and support 24 hours a day

One of the biggest advantages of supported independent living services is that providers of this service arrange housing for their disabled clients in such a way that the clients can have in-house support, 24 hours a day. This could be a huge relief and could increase your peace of mind and quality of life. For example, if you currently have carers who visit your home for a few hours a day, switching to a supported independent housing arrangement would mean that there would be no gaps during the day or night when you would be left to fend for yourself.

This means that if, for example, you're immobile and you fall out of your bed during the night and cannot reach out for your phone to call for help, you wouldn't be stuck on the floor until your carer arrived in the morning. Instead, you could call out to your carer, who would be sleeping in a room nearby, and get immediate help.

Likewise, your daily activities and schedule would not be determined by the availability of your carers. For instance, if you like to bake but need support when you're in the kitchen, you wouldn't have to wait until midday when your carer starts their shift to do this activity, but could instead begin this hobby as soon as you and your carer are awake and ready for the day.

You could live away from your family

Oftentimes, disabled people end up living with their families long into adulthood, not necessarily because they want to but because they need extra support as a result of their disabilities, which their family can provide. If you're in this situation but would love to live a bit more independently, then using an SIL service could be the solution. This would allow you to move out of your family home into a house that you share with those who provide support.

Because these people would not be your family members, you would have a more professional dynamic with them and might, therefore, find it easier to be direct about asking for the exact help you need, without then having to, for example, spend extra time with them as a way of showing that you appreciate their help, when you'd prefer to be doing something else on your own (which might happen when you're seeking support from family members who you live and have personal relationships with). You'll also get to spend more of your day doing whatever you want, without being distracted or interrupted by your family members, but you can still reach out for immediate help whenever you require it.