July is Disability Pride Month. We deal a lot with disability in homecare, and we have a lot of clients who are either newly disabled or have disabilities but don’t think of themselves as disabled. We can still help people in practical ways while they come to terms with their disabilities.
Ability Changes
Disability is the one type of marginalization that we can gain at any point in our lives. We have cared for younger disabled adults, but most of our clients are older. A lot of our clients are also veterans, which can mean a higher amount of disability in that population. Many older adults can experience vision or hearing loss, which is a common disability. Older adults may develop conditions that are themselves disabilities, like Parkinson’s, or conditions that give them disabling mobility issues.
Always Offer Modifications and Resources
If you notice a client struggling to perform a task the way they always have, gently suggest an alternative while still allowing them to do it themselves. Our tennent of independence goes quite well with disability pride, as we meet people where they are while still allowing them to do as much care by themselves as possible. You may also want to suggest resources for your client such as an ADA parking placard or Meals on Wheels or a mobility device. Many people who are recently disabled are often shy about utilizing resourses that are meant for them.
This one might be a two-parter, so stay tuned tomorrow!
Written by Brigid Coffey
