We pride Respite, Community Aides, as well as Behavior and Developmental Aides to families. Life skills, to a great many people have various connotations. It may be that life skills are of a physical nature where mere exercising and a properly prescribed diet is what are required to meet your client’s objectives. Everyday life skills for the vast minority take on an entirely new meaning. The process of each movement and thought can be exhausting and somewhat overwhelming, not only for the individual requiring the much needed skill, but to the family members or care givers, assisting loved ones, their children and spouse, or just a close friend. Energy, patience and a full heart are key attributes and will undoubtedly reward both yourself and the person you are caring for, paving a road for possible lifelong relationships. The purpose of Life Skills instruction is to prepare basic life skills that will enhance the abilities of children/adults in their home environment and are important in preparing them for the transition to community living and future educational/employment placements. Life Skills instruction has been defined as specific competencies to include knowledge, skills, and the appliance of Life Skills of local and educational relevance needed to achieve everyday activities across an array of settings. The general prospectus can be modified to meet specific life skills education needs for each individual. (Learning Independent Fundamentals Everyday) programs are designed to adapt each task to that in which the client is capable of recognizing their own environment, their surroundings and facilities. Skills is a critical component in the personal and social development of children/adults in the continuing strives for independence. These particular areas are significant to maintain basics such as employment and establish or maintain friendships. offers individually tailored in-home programming for children and adults of all ages with disabilities. Providing individualized step-by-step instruction in:
Address/Telephone Skills
Community Awareness
Cooking
Daily Routines
Job Readiness
Laundry
Self Care & Hygiene
Sports Skills
L.I.F.E Skills curriculum will use a range of teaching strategies and visual aids to support children and adults, including seniors, at their current level of functioning to improve daily living. It is important to note that the facilitator should be made aware of behavioral patterns of the individual they are responsible for. Our Information Survey allows us to properly highlight areas of special routines, medications, allergies and vital likes and dislikes etc. This will eventually allow the Facilitator to bond more personally and gain the confidence of the child or adult in their care. Communicating with the family enables the L.I.F.E. Skills Facilitator to acquire information surrounding the expectations by instilling confidence that the needs of the child or adult maintain the quality of life and improving on long term abilities to function at the best of their capability, providing the suitable skills to obtain the necessary results. Compatibility between client, Facilitator, Family and Therapists are essential in optimizing the learning potential for the person utilizing the skills, and the health and well being of the entire family. It can be a magical triangle when properly united! Although Respite and life Skills are considered to be separate necessary services offered by the Alberta government, Facilitators of Stepping into L.I.F.E. recognize the opportunity to teach Life Skills is always present, and therefore, consistently provides life skills to each individual, regardless of the situation or task request. Simply put, Respite, often considered to be a form of “babysitting”, can be enhanced by those willing to provide the time, energy and necessary skill sets for the child or adult they have the pleasure being alongside with. Facilitators believe that the opportunity for learning is always present. That the need to identify when a person’s optimum learning potential is regardless of whether conducting respite or life skills, it’s the individual approach that continues to make learning enjoyable, allowing the person a stress free activity and other family members, caregivers the occasion for a more healthier life style. Respite care provides an opportunity for families to recognize and respond to the needs of all family members. Options include hourly, daytime, nighttimes, 24 hours, several days at a time or on a weekly basis. Services also include but are not limited to babysitting, companionship, mentoring, personal care and social recreational programming. Respite has been shown to help sustain family caregiver health and wellbeing. It may also reduce the likelihood of divorce and help sustain marriages.
