Independent Living For People Living With Schizophrenia

What is independent living? Independent living is a home for people that need a little extra help caring for themselves. It is a steping stone for people to mature into their own independent living arrangement. The home has a house manager that lives there and provides supervised distribution of medication and prepared meals. There is usually a curfew to make sure that people are safe, and visiting hours. It is great for a lot of people including those with a mental illness, people who are handicap, and the elderly. I would recommend independent living for those who need help taking their medication, and as a temporary living arrangement until that person is stable and responsible to take their own medication.

Here are some reasons why independent living should be a viable option compared to living at home with a parent or sibling:

• Feeling more independent or self-reliant
• Less stress on family
• Less disagreements with parents and siblings
• More freedom to do what you want to do

I have lived in an independent living establishment. I lived there for six months. I liked it for a little while but I wanted more freedom. I liked the prepared meals because I do not cook. I did not like having a curfew and I wanted my friends to be able to stay longer than the usual visiting hours which were something like 2-7pm. I also didn't like sharing a room with two other girls, I wanted my my own room and bathroom. Lastly, I did not like having a suicidal roommate, fortunately the house manager called the police so that my roommate was forced to go to the hospital.