What You Should Know About Caring for Someone with Mobility Problems.

(Akiit.com) Whether the person you’re caring for has long-term or short-term problems, looking after them can be difficult. When someone has mobility problems associated with ill-health of old age, they often can’t do very much for themselves. This makes them reliant on you, or whoever else is caring for them. Here are some things that might help you when you are looking after someone with mobility problems.

Understand the Responsibility and Get Help If You Need To

Looking after someone who relies on you can be a big strain. Your lifestyle has to change, and you have to put a lot of work into caring for them. Not everyone can cope with this, so make sure you understand the responsibility. When it’s a relative or close friend, people feel obliged to help. But sometimes, looking after someone when you’re not really able to do so properly is not a good idea. Instead, you should make sure the individual gets the level of care that they really need. You can hire a nurse that can assist you with the care work if it’s getting too much for you to cope with.

Make Adaptations to the Home

You might also need to make some adaptations to the home. This is something that can take time and money to do. But if the person you’re caring for lives with you and has long-term problems, it might be worth it. For example, rails can be added to the bathroom and corridors in the home. And a ramp can be installed outside the home to make entry a little easier for them. If they have a wheelchair that they need to use, then the home will have to be able to cope with it. Some people choose to widen the doorways in the home to make getting about it easier.

Purchase the Right Equipment

There might be specialist equipment that you need to use in order to look after them. What kind of equipment you buy will obviously depend on what their precise mobility problems are. People with mild problems might only need to rely on a walking stick. Whereas, others might need a wheelchair. And there are things that can help you as a carer. For example, shower lifts help people with mobility problems get in and out of the shower quickly, easily and safely. Evac chairs are also useful for if you ever need to get them out of the building in a hurry. People with mobility problems can be especially vulnerable in the event of a fire.

Encourage Activity

For people with short-term mobility problems, it’s a good idea to encourage them to be as active as possible. If they stay fit and active, it helps them to recover more quickly. It’s all about rebuilding their strength, which will then make them more mobile. This can be done by walking with them, for example. It’s best to consult their doctor about what kind of exercise, and how much of it, would be best for them. It’s important to take it slowly and not push them harder than they can handle though. Doing that doesn’t help anyone, and can even postpone their recovery.

Staff Writer; Harry Lewis

• Share Post
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google +1
• Email