Services

Ramsey County issued a Request for Proposal called “Service options to support people in their own homes” in the spring of 2011. The mission of the RFP was to find innovative ways to provide individualized support to a person in a variety of housing options. Dependable Home Health Care is one of 11 providers that were selected in August 2011 to partner with Ramsey County to provide this service.  

History and Trends

Years ago, people with disabilities were isolated from society and lived in institutions. When deinstitutionalization happened, people were moved from institutions to group homes that were located in residential areas. People were able to live in a less restrictive environment than an institution and were more integrated into the community. In 2009, the Minnesota Legislature authorized a moratorium on the growth of adult and child corporate foster care. The new trend is to support people living in their own homes, whether that is an apartment, townhome or single family home so that they are even more integrated into society.  

Dependable Home Health Care’s Services 

We offer an “a la carte” type of service menu that is directed by the person and their support team. Each person may choose from an array of services for which we provide that will best meet their wants and needs. Consumer health and safety as well as active treatment are the guiding principles for all service delivery. The very basic needs of all people are to be healthy and safe. Once these areas are met, people can strive for higher goals. It is our mission to ensure all people we serve can strive for their best possible life.   

In the a la carte menu, people choose services to create a plan that supports each person’s goals. Examples of these services are: 

• Housing Assistance to advocate and provide as much assistance as needed for the person to obtain a lease to a multi unit rental facility like an apartment or duplex in Ramsey County. Each person will have the ability to choose the kind of housing, location, or to live alone or have roommates.    
• Supported Employment Services to assist the person find employment to earn money to pay for housing and other needs, be a part of the community, and contribute to society.
• Personal Care Assistant & Homemaker Staff to assist with meal preparation, house cleaning, errands, financial management, and personal health and safety.
• Support for Activities of Daily Living.

In addition to these services, DHHC can also coordinate services with external agencies that provide: 

• RN Services for monitoring health needs, training staff and administering injection related medications. 
• Behavior Specialists and other qualified professionals to develop and implement individual development plans towards Independent Living Skills.

Each person is able to tailor their services to best meet their needs. We gather input from the person and their support team which may include family members, significant others, neighbors or other important people in their lives. The Program Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the services that the person requests and will assess the effectiveness.  All of the services we provide may be offered in the person’s home whether they are living with family, roommates or alone.  The ultimate goal is to phase out services as the person becomes more skilled and independent.  

An Example

A 21-year-old woman lives with her mother but is interested in living on her own. The woman is her own guardian and is receiving support from her mother for meals and help with managing her money. She has requested 8 hours per week of ILS service, to learn money management, shopping and cooking skills. This woman has also requested 15 hours/week of PCA services to assist with her physical cares because she has Cerebral Palsy, which affects her mobility. Recently she was laid off from her job and has requested 2 hours/week of Supported Employment Services to assist her in finding a vocation that fits her interests and skills.  

Another Example

A 34-year-old man lives with his brother and sister-in-law. His goals are focused on building social skills that would enable him to spend time in the community and build relationships with others. His In-Home Support staff works 7 hours each week with him on his goals. He also receives 18 hours each week of Respite service, which makes it possible for his brother and sister-in-law to focus on their home business.

Changes and Benefits 

A person who lives in a more independent situation will feel greater freedom and pride in their accomplishments.  New relationships will increase when the person builds skills and participates in more activities like neighborhood picnics, community education classes, attending groups of interest, or religious functions.  The goal is to see the person thrive in the community with less paid staff and more natural supports. Natural Supports are the people that are important to the person such as family, significant others, friends, neighbors, co-workers and others in the community.   We see our role as teaching skills and facilitating opportunities to build more natural supports and then fading out when the person no longer needs support.  

For more information about Service Options, please contact Deena Peterson at 651-779-9810 ext. 140 or  [email protected]