Disability Independence Via Home Care Services

Are you unsure how to increase the independence of your loved one?

The care of a disabled person can be debilitating. Physically and emotionally, it can exact a heavy toll on both the caregiver and the disabled person.

It can be difficult to carve out the time or find the energy to work on greater independence, but these efforts are vital for the health of your relationships.

The concept of letting go can be very difficult for caregivers. They often struggle with the unknowns involved in achieving a more independent lifestyle for a family member with an intellectual disability. Change can be difficult and scary for everyone.

However, family members can also take comfort in the knowledge that, as their loved one becomes more self-sufficient, they will gain a greater ability to speak up for themselves and to choose the life they want.

Many family members begin the process of helping another person achieve greater independence with the very clear aim of preparing that loved one for settlement into a home and an independent life once the time comes when they are no longer able to provide essential daily care.

You can work with your family member to increase his or her independent living skills, knowing that the effort will benefit the person’s long-term well-being.

We help people with disabilities and their carers by providing information, resources and guides. For those who are ready to aid the independence of a family member with an intellectual disability, we have put together a list of 21 tips that we hope you will find useful.

However, before we begin, it is important to understand what promoting independence entails.

In the past, some disability support services have created dependencies in clients, instead of encouraging independence.

The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is intended to assist people with a disability by putting them at the center of their own support arrangements and rewarding initiative, self-sufficiency, and increased capacity.

Disability Independence Via Home Care Services

• Seek to support, not control, what people do
• Establish a trusted support network
• Search for meaning, rather than judging someone’s behaviour
• Lead with positivity
• Learn from each other and adapt
• Respect and recognise multiple identities
• Start slow with daily life decisions
• Allow choice about friends and lifestyle
• Provide decision-making power
• Get into community activities
• Join mainstream community groups
• Encourage interactions with others
• Get your vote on
• Encourage your community to embrace diversity
• Living a healthy lifestyle
• Let’s talk about sex
• Consider options for learning, employment or volunteering
• Provide training to improve the required skills for independence
• Start with daily living skills
• Leverage technology to develop skills
• Use repetition by creating daily rituals and habits