It is never an easy day when you find out that one of your family members or loved ones has been involved in an accident or just received a life-changing medical diagnosis. Especially if that accident or medical incident is going to change their ability to live and work independently, so that they are going to need some kind of specialized help or assistance.

Today, we are going to be walking you through some things that you can start doing and some actions that you can start taking when you find out a loved one has been disabled.

Responding Accordingly and Compassionately to New Disabilities

1) Stay Positive

 One of the best things that you can do when you first get word of the news of new disability is to stay positive. Being negative is not going to take you back in time and it is not going to solve your problems, so the best thing that you can do for yourself and your loved one is to stay optimistic. Positivity, encouragement and the strength of the people around them are going to be the best things for keeping their spirits lifted.

 2) Stress Your Willingness to Help

 When a medical or physical condition limits someone’s independence, they are going to need to rely on other people to help them accomplish daily tasks. These may be activities and responsibilities that they were used to doing on their own beforehand, which can be incredibly frustrating for them.

Make sure that you let them know that you are happy to help them. Take action and show them that you are more than happy to help them out with anything that they need. This can be a tough balance in the beginning to know when you are doing tto much, so make sure to keep a balance by asking if they need help.

 3) Adjust their Living Area

 Another great way that you can help your friend or family member with adjusting to their new disability is by making their home more convenient for their condition. Make sure that you rearrange important items like furniture so that they can move around their home with ease.

 4) Add some Tools for Convenience

The chances are, you are going to need to start using tools and incorporating safety precautions and emergency protocols to make sure that they are taken care of.

Common options may include:

• Wheelchair lifts
• Grab bars
• Safety bars
• Safety ramps
• Stairlifts
• And emergency communication methods

If you have any other questions about handling new or rapidly declining disabilities, feel free to contact us today.