Living with a disabled person with physical and/or mental problems can often be difficult and frustrating for both the sick person and those whose job it is to care for him or her. The difficulties are diverse and varied in nature and, if not handled appropriately, can lead to stressful and unpleasant situations making life anything but easy. So here are some great tips for living with peace of mind with a person with a severe disability.
The decalogue of advice
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Ensure a quiet, orderly, comfortable and safe home environment for the sick person.
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To help the sick person in carrying out his or her activities unhurriedly and trying to maintain his or her autonomy for as long as possible.
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Use comfortable and simple clothing, avoiding buttons and shoelaces.
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Abituate him to perform his physiological needs at fixed times, supervising him discreetly.
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A caution him often, talk to him calmly and gently and reassure him by looking into his eyes; if necessary, communicate nonverbally through touch and smiles.
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Use short, simple, clear and concrete sentences; communicate one message at a time
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Be patient, even if the affected person repeats the same things over and over again: … he has already forgotten that he said them just before.
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Don’t
point out his mistakes, never scold him out loud … he suffers from it, even if he can’t tell you.
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Make him listen to
music and songs from his youth and other things he likes.
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Assist him, always respecting his modesty and dignity.
Other useful information
When living with a person with a disability, it is highly recommended that youorganize your medical knowledge so that you are constantly up-to-date with the affected person’s illness and Learning how to communicate effectively with physicians. It is also necessary to keep all documentation pertaining to the patient and his or her illness in order at all times so that it is immediately available in case of emergencies. Also remember. that the effort put in is hard work, so there is a need for moments of rest.
Here are three other useful tips:
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Seeking and Accepting Help from Other People: remembering that you don’t have to be alone
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Taking care of one’s health as well: one needs to be strong enough to take care of a sick person
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Pay attention to signs of depression that may also occur in the caregiver and do not delay in seeking professional help when needed
