Individualized Home Supports

Individualized home supports cover community living services in four categories:

Community participation
Health, safety and wellness
Household management
Adaptive skills

When a person receives individualized home supports without training, they must receive support in at least one of the community living service categories. When a person receives individualized home supports with training or individualized home supports with family training, they must receive training in at least one of the community living service categories. They also may receive support in any of the community living service categories.

Community Participation

This category may include:

Community mobility and pedestrian safety (e.g., safely getting in and around the community)

Community resource use and access

Community safety and awareness

Informal support system and network development

Interpersonal communications skills

Leisure, recreation and socialization planning

Skill-building to meet transportation needs

Health, Safety, and Wellness

This category may include:

Collaboration with the person to arrange health care (e.g., physical, mental, chemical), meaningful activities, social services, meetings and appointments

Cueing, guidance, supervision, training or instructional support to complete self-cares (Note: Cannot duplicate use of eligible Medical Assistance [MA] state plan home care services; see CBSM – Home care overview)

  • Health services support, as defined in Minn. Stat. §245D.05
  • Help for the person to activate and build resiliency factors. (e.g., whole health action management)

Support for the person to design and meet individualized strategies to reach their health, safety and wellness goals.

Household Management

This category may include:

Cueing, guidance, supervision, training, or instructional support to complete routine household cares and maintenance

Household safety knowledge and skills

Tenancy support and advocacy

Training, assistance, support, and/or guidance with:

Budgeting and assistance to manage money

Cooking, meal planning and nutrition

Healthy lifestyle skills and practices

Household chores, including minor household maintenance activities (the cost of the maintenance replacement item[s] or product[s] is the responsibility of the person)

Personal needs purchasing

Adaptive Skills

This category may include:

  • Crisis prevention skills
  • Implementation of positive support strategies
  • Problem-solving
  • Sensory/motor development involved in acquiring functional skills
  • Support strategies for self-sufficiency
  • Support and training to increase positive behavior resulting in the reduction or elimination of maladaptive behavior

FAQ'S

What are Individualized Home Supports?

Individualized Home Supports (IHS) provide one-on-one assistance to help individuals live as independently as possible in their homes and communities. These supports focus on areas like community participation, health and wellness, household management, and developing adaptive skills.

IHS covers support and/or training in the following community living service categories:

  • Community participation (e.g., social involvement, accessing public spaces)

  • Health, safety, and wellness (e.g., medication reminders, personal care guidance)

  • Household management (e.g., cleaning, meal planning, organization)

  • Adaptive skills (e.g., problem-solving, time management, coping strategies)

  • Without training: The person receives support (help with tasks) in at least one category.

  • With training: The person receives instruction to build skills in at least one category.

  • With family training: The family is trained to help the individual develop independence, alongside support in the community living categories.

Individuals who need support to live more independently—whether at home or in the community—can benefit from IHS. It’s especially useful for people who want to develop life skills, stay safe and healthy, and reduce their dependence on others.

Yes. A person receiving IHS with training or family training may also receive direct support in any of the service categories, depending on their individualized plan and goals.