A Typical Day as a Direct Support Professional in a Residential Setting

 I have a job working as a Direct Support Professional with people with developmental disabilities such as mental retardation and down syndrome. The job setting is residential, meaning that the place where I work is actually the home of the eight adults who live there.

My job is to help them with activities for daily life such as bathing and eating, as well as to accompany them on activities, advocate for their rights, and ensure that they complete residential habilitation plans.

I am generally eager to start work each day. Over the two years that I have been there, I have developed close relationships with the people I serve. Each of them has a distinct, lovable personality and this is what makes me excited to go to work. I truly look forward to having the opportunity to spend time with each of these people while I am at work. While I am assisting them with various activities, I am also building relationships with them and this aspect of the job is infinitely rewarding.

A shift may generally start with helping to make and serve dinner, and then assisting the residents with eating dinner. Some of the residents are independent with their eating skills while others need various levels of help with getting the food into their mouth. After dinner we might play games or go out to the park or a movie.

My job responsibilities also include making sure that they are bathed and to help them prepare for their next day of work. Each resident also has a residential habilitation plan which might include things such as social integration or improving the strength and mobility of their muscles. The residents have deadlines to accomplish the goals on these plans, and I assist them in working on them daily.

Because I am working with people, it is sometimes hard to leave my work behind when I go home each day. It is like working with friends or family. I care about their well being, and sometimes I think about how they are doing after I leave for the day. Sometimes I worry that they are not getting enough or the right kind of care from the other Direct Support Professionals.

For the most part, this job is fulfilling, If I were to choose another career, it would be for higher pay or for a position where I could use more of the skills I learned when earning my college degree. I am a “people person” and this is a great position for a person like me, so I don’t think I need to change careers anytime soon!