I've experienced several periods of depression throughout my adult life, and while prescription drugs have proved helpful, I've been keen to explore drug-free ways to manage and treat my depression. I started this blog to share my personal experience battling this illness and the alternative treatment options I've tried, including dietary supplements, talking therapies, meditation, relaxation exercises, massage and acupuncture. I also post about current research on the effectiveness of holistic therapies at treating depression, and the blog contains guest posts written by others with depression who have tried drug-free treatments. I hope you find the information on this blog useful.
If one of your family members has developed a physical disability that makes it difficult for them to look after themselves, you should consider using an at-home disability care service. Read on to find out why.
It can improve their quality of life
A severe disability can have a serious impact on the quality of a person's life. Being unable to do things that they once did with ease (such as taking a shower, preparing a meal or socialising with friends) can be incredibly disheartening and can affect a person's mental and emotional wellbeing. In some cases, it may even lead to the development of depression and anxiety.
However, if you arrange for a carer from one of your local disability care businesses to help your family member with day-to-day tasks, you can vastly improve your loved one's quality of life.
The carer can assist them with getting essential daily tasks done (such as bathing, using the toilet or getting dressed) and make these activities far quicker and less mentally and physically exhausting for the disabled person. This, in turn, can leave them with more energy to devote to other, more enjoyable elements of their life (such as reading, playing computer games or spending time with their friends, family members or pets)
A professional carer who visits on a regular basis can also serve as a good source of company for a person with a disability. This is an important point to note, as many people who develop disabilities that leave them unable to keep their jobs or even leave their homes for extended periods of time have a tendency to become socially isolated. This constant isolation can then further increase their risk of developing chronic mental health issues.
It will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed and stressed out
Looking after a disabled family member on your own can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming, particularly if you have no experience in being a carer.
If you try to handle this challenging experience alone, you may also find that you begin to neglect your own daily needs. For example, if you need to spend your mornings getting your relative bathed, dressed and fed, you might end up skipping meals, or not bothering to shower or exercise as often as you once did.
This could be very problematic, as if your own mental and physical health starts to decline because you all of your time and energy is being spent taking care of your family member, you will eventually burn out and become so exhausted that you can no longer do anything for your disabled relative.
If you're constantly stressed out, you may also find it much harder to offer your family member the emotional support that they need during this difficult period of their life.
Using a disability care service can prevent these type of problems from arising. The reason for this is as follows: having a carer on hand to help your relative with basic daily activities can free up your time. This will not only allow you to take care of yourself properly (and thus keep your stress levels to a minimum) but will also make it far easier for you to offer both practical and emotional support to your family member.
Share21 May 2018
