Caring for disabled individuals can be a grueling task. But with the right support system in place, you can make this process much smoother on yourself and your loved one.
A PCA (professional care assistant) can come into your loved one’s home and assist them with tasks such as bathing, eating and taking medication. They may also offer other assistance like cleaning or doing laundry.
Don’t Underestimate Their Abilities
Many individuals with disabilities are capable of caring for themselves without any assistance. They’ve spent considerable time adapting to their condition and understand what they can and cannot do on their own.
For instance, they could drive a wheelchair-accessible vehicle or call ahead to ensure a restaurant is wheelchair friendly. Furthermore, they might have installed tile in their home to reduce friction from wheelchairs on carpeting.
People often underestimate the abilities of disabled individuals due to their own perceived limitations. This can lead to frustration and miscommunication between parties.
When caring for someone with a disability, it’s essential to express your love and concern. While it’s important to show them you care, avoid using baby talk or telling them what they can and cannot do.
Don’t Feel Sorry For Them
Sometimes people who do not have a disability themselves struggle to know how best to communicate or act. So they often use insensitive phrases that do not convey anything meaningful and only serve to irritate those living with disabilities.
“Ablesplaining” is often to blame here. Non-disabled people attempt to explain disability benefits or suggest medications and treatments they believe will benefit a disabled person, without taking into account that they may not know about these matters or lack the time to research them thoroughly.
This approach does not benefit the disabled person, as it only makes them feel bad about themselves and their situation. It also reinforces ableist ideas of what disabilities daycare brisbane look like, making disabled people less worthy of respect and social acceptance. Furthermore, pity-culture can prevent people with disabilities from feeling motivated to get the help they require or doing the things they wish to do. This mindset can prevent individuals from seeking out solutions or fulfilling their potentials.
Don’t Make Decisions For Them
People living with disabilities have the same rights as anyone else, including the freedom to make decisions for their own life. This includes living arrangements, health care decisions, relationships and finances – and much more.
If someone with a disability needs assistance making decisions, they can reach out to someone who has prior experience doing so. This could be a family member, friend, or mentor.
People with disabilities may benefit from supported decision-making. This is an alternative to guardianship and allows someone to appoint a group of trusted supporters who will assist them in understanding, communicating, and making their own decisions.
This type of decision-making has proven successful in other countries and was even endorsed by the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with disability services melbourne . It promotes self-determination and independence for disabled individuals – two essential rights.
Give Them Time
To give a disabled person their due, patience is key. Although you may feel the urge to rush through the process of helping your loved one, give them time to learn about tasks at hand and how to complete them successfully. This may involve engaging in creative brainstorming exercises to find solutions for each new challenge that arises.
There are a few ways you can help your disabled family member or friend feel like a part of the gang again, but one of the most important is showing them you care. This may involve doing simple acts of kindness such as holding the door for them or bringing them a cup of coffee from time to time. It might also mean giving them some freedom to explore nature or simply taking a day off work to relax and unwind. You could even go out for a drink with them to reconnect in an authentic and meaningful way.
