Independent Living Trials: When Risk Leads to Real Insight

Independent living trials (ILTs) often divide opinion. They’re expensive, time-consuming, and logistically complex — especially in brain injury cases. But from my perspective, they’re one of the most powerful tools we have to really understand someone’s support needs.

Because without risk, there’s no real insight.

We learn more when people are given the chance to fail

When someone has been living at home with their family, or in a supported rehab unit, it’s easy to think we’ve seen the full picture. But what we’ve often seen is a version of their independence within a highly structured and supported setting. That’s not the same as true independence.

To understand what someone will need long-term (and what they’re capable of) we have to give them the opportunity to try, to struggle, and yes, sometimes to fail.

That might sound harsh. But it’s not about setting people up to fall — it’s about allowing space for honest assessment.

“For someone to move forward, there has to be the opportunity to fail.” – Des O’Neill

Making trials work: Be SMART about it

A trial is only useful if it has structure. Like any other part of rehabilitation, it needs SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. Otherwise, it risks being an expensive holding pattern.

What’s the goal of the trial? Is it to test meal prep, medication management, personal care, or community access? How will we know if it’s working?

If these questions aren’t clear from the outset, the trial won’t give you the clarity you're looking for. For more on why SMART goals matter (especially the ‘T’) see my blog on time-limited rehab plans.

One size doesn’t fit all

I’ve seen all kinds of ILTs: some based in bespoke residential flats, others happening within the community with support scaling down gradually. There’s no single “right” model. What matters is that the setup reflects what the individual’s real life could look like, distractions and all.

It’s the difference between making toast in a quiet kitchen with labelled cupboards… versus cooking while someone’s knocking at the door, the radio’s on and the dog’s barking.

That’s the real world. And that’s what we’re assessing.

Independent living trials won’t suit every case, and they’re not a silver bullet. But when they’re done well — with clear goals, the right level of challenge, and careful oversight — they give us more than any observation ever could.

Because sometimes, the best way to understand what someone needs is to step back and let them try.