When you have someone in your life, whether in a personal or professional capacity, who is living with a disability, there are certainly challenges to overcome. Daily activities and interactions are not as easy for you as they might be for other people. That is okay. Life happens, and everyone has to deal with what comes next. But that does not mean you have to sit back and let things happen. Instead, you can take a more proactive approach to ensure your life, and that of those around you, is better than ever. Continue reading for some easy-to-implement tips to help you get started today.
Use the Right Software to Manage and Track Caregivers
Providing healthcare and caregiving services to those living with a disability is a rewarding and challenging job. You must track everything from transportation distances and costs to the time spent providing care. Using pen and paper or a variety of outdated software will not serve anyone well as information may fall through the cracks, and not everyone uses the same programs.
Make a change to how you document and track your care hours, data, and funds by using a seamless software program such as NDIS Software. It is fully operational and has phone and ticketing support to ensure any questions or problems are attended to and remedied as soon as possible. You are in the business of providing care, so that is where your focus should be as much as possible. Make the management side of things easier than ever before by implementing technology and best practices to reduce unnecessary paperwork and make your role better.
Alone Time is Essential
Even if you are a social being and thrive on interactions with others, sometimes you just need a recharge and reset. Making time to be alone is essential for everyone from caregivers and family members to the person living with a disability.
If you are unable to step away for any scheduled amount of time, try taking 15 minutes for yourself. Talk with the people in your household, including professional caregivers, and clearly explain the purpose and intention behind alone time. Tell everyone that you will retreat to your bedroom with the door closed for 15 minutes of solitude right after lunch is over. Ask that everyone else do the same and respect one another’s time. When the allotted time is over, come back together as you normally do and go about your day.
If you are able to hire a caregiver or drop your children off at a relative or friend’s home, do it! Go ahead and run your errands in peace, go to a local coffee shop with a good book, or sit in the park for an hour watching the ducks. Try to schedule time every week or month if that is more feasible to be alone with your thoughts and tending to your needs. You will return to your family refreshed and ready to go.
Remember to Have Fun
Having fun is meaningful and memorable. Being a caregiver or a family member of someone living with a disability does not mean the world stops. It does change a bit, however. Whether you have fun on your own during your well-deserved alone time or with your favourite people, the important thing is that you find ways to enjoy life.
Change what you know and how you think about entertainment. Take some time to learn about adaptive and inclusive activities near you. You and your family members or clients will be amazed at the world of opportunities available for those living with a disability. You are no longer expected to be confined to a home just because of a different ability. Go out and explore your local area and have fun. Laugh and smile at your missteps and adventures.
Once you have become comfortable with your hometown, go ahead and explore further afield. A little extra planning and patience will help you become more comfortable and experienced explorers who are ready to have fun wherever you go.
Watch this video to learn one person’s perspective on why having fun is the secret to a healthier life.
Seek Help When You Need It
Just because you are a professional caregiver for someone living with a disability or are a family member of one does not mean you are always in a positive frame of mind to accept things the way they are. Everyone gets down and a little sad at times. That sentiment may apply to you as well. When that happens, be sure you take care of your mental health and seek help when you need it.
A mental health check-in with your healthcare provider can make a huge difference in how you feel. Talking through your feelings with a licensed counsellor allows you to express your feelings without judgment while giving you the opportunity to work through frustrations or guilt that you may be unnecessarily harbouring. No one goes through life alone, and this should be especially true if you are providing care or family support for someone with a disability. Ask for help when you need it because you deserve it. You will do your best for others when you take care of yourself.
Offer Support
Regardless of your role in reference to a person who is living with a disability, you may want to try and solve their problems. While people with disabilities certainly need extra assistance depending on their specific circumstances, they sometimes just want kindness and support.
Do your best to offer them a listening, non-judgmental ear and lots of support when you can. Providing comfort to someone does not mean you have or need to have all the answers to their problems. Often, it is an opportunity for them to talk, vent, and be heard. You can be their sounding board. This is not to say that you are a replacement for professional therapy, simply a kind and caring person who can be there for them.
If you work in the caretaking industry or have a family member who lives with a disability, you are in a unique position, and yet you are not alone in that role. Find the resources and support you need to ensure you can provide service and care to the best of your ability.
