Since this month is Disability Pride Month, we talked about disability and homecare. There’s still some ground that I wanted to cover with regards to disability. Last time we mostly talked about how hard it can be for older adults to identify as disabled. Today we’re going to talk more about how to preserve clients’ independence and how to help advocate for disabled adults.
Don’t Assume Ability
Every person has different conditions that affect them, and even two people with the same condition can have very different experiences. So every caregiver should treat the client where they are and work with them to figure out what exactly they need assistance with on a daily basis. Especially if someone has a mobility change, some days they may be able to twist off the toothpaste cap on their own, and some days they may not be able to do that.
Advocating for Clients
Sometimes our clients have loved ones who think they need more assistance than they do. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it is done out of love. However, it can impede our clients’ independence sometimes. You may have to firmly but kindly assert that your client can in fact do x thing, and if they can’t, that you are right there to help but you want them to try it out by themselves first. This is also where detailed notes can come in, because it’s a record of which tasks your client needed assistance with on a specific date.
Happy Disability Pride Month!
Written by Brigid Coffey
