If you have a family member or friend living with a disability, you might be wondering what you can do to help them out from time to time. It’s important to remember that this is a sensitive subject though. Many people are too proud to admit that they could use an extra hand in these situations, so you have to tread carefully and ensure that you approach the issue from an understanding perspective. That said, if you’ve got the opportunity to do so, here are some things you should consider that could be of huge help.
Offer to Do Errands for Them
One of the simplest things you could do – yet also one with a huge potential impact – is to offer to run some errands for the person. Everyone needs some help with that here and there, and offering to buy groceries or pay some bills can go a long way towards easing their daily life and helping them concentrate on more important things. This doesn’t even have to happen every day. Even doing it occasionally can make a huge difference and can help the person rearrange their schedule in a more productive way.
Help Them Out with Suitable Home Improvements
If you want to take an extra step – and if your finances allow for it – you should also look into some home improvements to assist them in their daily tasks. Beautifulbathroom.net is a good starting place for disabled bathroom equipment, for example. Someone with a wheelchair is going to appreciate extra mobility options around their home too. Look around – there is no shortage of ideas and suppliers that can help you turn them into reality these days. It can be a little expensive if the home has never received such treatment until now, but the difference in the final result can be huge.
Be There to Listen
Last, but definitely not least, sometimes all it takes is to be there to listen to them. There might be a lot going on behind the scenes that you’re not aware of, and these kinds of conversations won’t just happen on their own in your daily interactions unless you put some effort into it. Don’t push it, though – remember what we mentioned above about sensitivity and having a careful approach to this. As long as you’re patient and understanding, this can help you improve the person’s quality of life more than you might expect.
Some of these points take a bit of effort to address, and as we mentioned earlier, they might not even be on the table as options in the first place, depending on how your conversation with the person goes. But if you truly care about them, it’s important to show them that you’re willing to go the extra mile and provide them with extra assistance to make their life easier. If you’re not sure where to start, just refer to our last point on the list. Be ready to listen, and apply what you’ve learned in practice later on.
Lacy Ryan
A Doctor of Public Health, Lacy Ryan has accrued more than ten years of experience, making a name for herself as a researcher, writer, policy analyst, and project manager specializing in public health and international development.She earned her PhD in Community and Behavioural Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, her Master’s Degree in Global Health and Public Policy at the University of Edinburgh, and her Bachelor’s Degree with Honours in Biomedical Sciences (with minours in Biology and Psychology) at the University of Waterloo.
