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Disability Empowerment for Independent Living

A woman with a walker being helped by a medical aid and a caregiver.

For caregivers of loved ones with disabilities, a constant worry is what will happen to their loved one without them. How will they manage day-to-day tasks? Will they be able to manage money? While these are valid worries, they can add undue stress over time. These 3 resources can empower a loved one with a disability to live independently, letting caregivers rest at ease.

1. PLAN of MA & RI

For caregivers of a loved one with a disability, financial planning can be a big worry. Though you might want to set aside some money for your loved one, you might not know the best way to do so.

That’s where the Planed Lifetime Assistance Network of Massachusetts and Rhode Island (PLAN of MA & RI) comes in. PLAN offers trustworthy fiduciary and trustee services individuals with disabilities, ensuring your loved one will always have high-quality care by helping to manage money while balancing benefits.

PLAN offers special needs trusts and social support services for individuals of all ages living with a:

  • Physical disability
  • Developmental disability
  • Mental health disability
  • Age-related disability

Over 70% of PLAN’s beneficiaries are 65 or older, giving them expertise in the unique challenges faced by older adults with disabilities. Through PLAN’s Special Needs Trusts, you can set aside money without jeopardizing social security benefits, and rest easy knowing that your loved one’s financial future is secure.

To learn more about how PLAN of MA & RI can help you preserve assets, visit https://www.planofma-ri.org/ or call directly at 617-244-5552 (MA) or 401-234-8444 (RI).

2. Independent Living Centers

Offered by MassAbility and the Commonwealth, Independent Living Centers (ILCs) are run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. They provide information and referral services, peer support, personal care attendant (PCA) services, advocacy, and transitional services to help people with disabilities become more independent at home and in the community.

For example, some ILCs provide training workshops to help individuals with disabilities:

  • Transition into community living
  • Complete their education
  • Gain skills and experience for the workforce
  • Learn financial literacy and budgeting
  • Get assistive technology
  • Find transportation
  • Connect to internship and volunteer opportunities

Through an ILC, your loved one can gain the skills and support resources needed to take control of their life and live with more independence, all while connecting with the local disability community.

There are 8 ILCs throughout Massachusetts. To find and connect with the location closest to you, visit the state’s Independent Living Center Locator page or call 617-204-3600.

3. City of Boston Disabilities Commission

For Boston residents, the city’s Disabilities Commission is there to advocate for individuals with disabilities and facilitate full and equal participation in all aspects of life. The Disabilities Commission works to reduce barriers to society for people with disabilities, whether that be architecture, procedures, attitudes, communication, and more.

The Disabilities Commission can help your family:

  • Obtain an Accessible Parking Spot
  • Request an accessible curb ramp
  • Request closed captioning for programming
  • Facilitate accessibility for public spaces, services, and businesses
  • Request an Accessible Electronic Voting Ballot

The Disabilities Commission is there to advocate for people with disabilities, making sure that they have equal access to public resources and can fully participate in society. Additionally, they serve as a resource hub for transportation, housing, employment, language, and public resources. To learn more about what the Disabilities Commission can do for your family, email them at [email protected] or call 617-635-3682.

4. The Healthy Living Center of Excellence

The Healthy Living Center of Excellence supports older adults and individuals with disabilities, by providing classes and workshops teaching day-to-day strategies to manage chronic disease, prevent falls, and live healthily.

Some examples of classes they teach are:

  • Healthy eating for successful living
  • Diabetes self-management
  • Chronic disease self-management
  • Falls prevention
  • Chronic pain self-management

For family members of individuals with a new diagnosis, day-to-day caregiving can seem overwhelming. But by empowering a person with a disability to manage their own care, a family can collaborate and work together to share care planning responsibilities.

To learn more about programs and find a workshop near you, contact the Healthy Living Center of Excellence by calling 978-946-1211.

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