At some point, you may need to decide whether or not your adult child should live at home. While there are housing options for people with mental illness, they may not be the best choice for your relative. Every family is unique so there is no single answer to whether your relative should live at home. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Living at home can be successful if:

• Your relative wants to live at home, of her own choice.
• Your relative’s illness should be fairly well under control. She should be stable on her medication, take care of her own basic needs and manage her symptoms.
• Your relative should have a social life and be involved in activities outside the home. It’s especially helpful if she has a job, volunteers or goes to school.
• The rest of the family is educated about mental illness and can deal with the odd behavior and other problems without being judgmental or angry.
• Your relative is willing to be involved in a treatment program, self help groups or other activities that will help her achieve her recovery.

Living at home may not be successful if:

• Your relative does not want to live at home, but she has been convinced or coerced by other family members.
• Your relative’s symptoms are so severe and disruptive that she can’t get involved in any meaningful activities.
• Other family members don’t want her to live at home. The home should be a comfortable environment where she feels wanted and accepted. If other family members are opposed to her being there, they won’t be supportive and may sabotage her success.
• Other family members can’t or won’t treat her with respect or dignity or are critical, angry and afraid of her.
• If the family consists of a single parent living alone, this can place a tremendous amount of responsibility on the caretaker.
• If the person with the illness doesn’t have any activities or friends outside the home, she will depend on the caretaker(s) to get all of her needs met.
• If the ill family member’s illness is so severe and the symptoms are so disruptive that the rest of the family is dominated by the disorder, it will create an environment of resentment and frustration.