and care homes, personal care homes, nursing facilities, independent living facilities, supportive living and homeownership, family caregiving, personal assistance services, medical homes, and for elders, assisted living facilities. In the United Kingdom Supported living is the term given by local authorities in the United Kingdom to encompass a range of services designed to help disabled citizens retain their independence in their local community. Previously, housing and support were usually provided by a charity or local council. Now mentally and physically disabled people can live in their own home and have personal support provided by another organisation or by hiring a personal assistant (paid visiting or live-in carer). As of 2009, the government in the UK expected "local councils to give people with learning disabilities a genuine opportunity to choose between housing, care and support options that include: Supportive living. Small-scale ordinary housing. Village or intentional communities." (p. 73) In the research and development sector, the UK has been a leader in supportive living residences and group homes, and in a concept and practice termed active support as part of community integration. In the early 1990's Paradigm launched the Reach Standards in Supported Living. Whilst the principles remain unchanged, the resource has evolved. You can now download (for free) The Reach Standards Practical Guide. "Supportive living" in the "Valuing People, 21st Century" report defined this approach as: "concerned with designing services round the particular needs and wishes of individuals and is less likely to result in housing and support that is designed around congregate living. Department of Health research has shown that supported living is associated with people having greater overall choice and a wider range of community activities." (p. 73) Teams in the UK Local supported living teams can advise what supported housing is available in any given area. Other assistance may include: a personal assistant or other care services Direct Payments to pay for privately sourced care services mobility equipment home adaptations security emergency call centre meals on wheels International collaborations As Linda Ward (1995) wrote in her edited text on "Values and Visions: Changing Ideas in Services for People with Learning Difficulties", "the flaws of the "group home model" were recognised sooner in the USA than the UK." (p. 12). Termed "supportive living", she says these developments have been richly documented by Racino, Walker, O'Connor, & Taylor (1993). Written at the time of the nine-state pilots by the