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LaBase Living

Learning center

Plain-language guides to disability support in Iowa

Families and case managers ask us the same questions in the first ten minutes of every call. These are the answers, written the way we would say them out loud — without acronyms, and without pretending the system is simpler than it is.

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Guides

Two people talking quietly across a kitchen table while reviewing a written plan

What is a mental health diagnosis?

The plain-language answer — what a diagnosis is, what it is not, and why supporting adults living with one is what we do best.

Read the guide
An adult and a support professional folding laundry together while talking

What are developmental disabilities?

How developmental disabilities are defined, how they show up in adult life, and what kinds of support actually help.

Read the guide
A young man learning to use a tablet with a staff member seated beside him

What is an intellectual disability?

The difference between intellectual and developmental disabilities, and what support looks like day to day.

Read the guide
A resident and a direct support professional cooking a meal together in a home kitchen

What is person-centered planning?

How a support plan gets written around a real life — a job, an apartment, a hobby, a friendship — and how it changes over time.

Read the guide

Our approach

Right-sized supports

The least amount of help a person needs to thrive — so they keep growing. Services are shaped around each individual, not the other way around.

Learning center

About these guides

It is a small library of plain-language explainers about intellectual and developmental disabilities, person-centered planning, and Iowa's HCBS supports — written for families, guardians, and case managers rather than for clinicians.

No. These articles are general education. Eligibility, diagnosis, and service authorization decisions are made by Iowa Medicaid, the person's case manager, and their clinical team.

They are written by LaBase Living, an Iowa Medicaid QIO-certified provider of supported community living and host homes in Cedar Rapids.

Read the service pages, then call (319) 777-8705 or start a referral. We will help you sort out whether habilitation, supported community living, or a host home fits before any paperwork.

Yes. We add explainers as families and case managers ask us the same question more than once.

Next step

Still not sure where to start?

Call us and describe the situation in your own words. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you who is.

Make a referralCall (319) 777-8705

Contact LaBase Living

Send a message or call us directly. We respond to every question, referral, and career inquiry.

4515 N River Blvd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52411

(319) 777-8705

info@labaseliving.com

Mon–Fri 8:00am – 5:00pm

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Please don’t include medical or diagnosis details — we’ll gather those securely once we’re in touch.

LaBase Living uses one-to-one text messaging between authorized staff and individuals who requested contact, prospective clients, current clients, authorized family contacts, case managers, and referral sources. Messages are used to respond to inquiries, schedule or confirm visits and assessments, send appointment reminders, and provide non-sensitive care coordination updates. Message frequency varies and is typically fewer than 10 messages per month. We do not send unsolicited marketing messages, use purchased lists, or share mobile opt-in information with third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes. Recipients may reply STOP to opt out or HELP for assistance. Message and data rates may apply. Please do not include diagnoses or other medical details in a text message; text is not a secure channel for health information. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

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