There’s no real way to define what living with a disability is like, because the experience can be incredibly personal to each individual. People living with disabilities tend not to have cookie-cutter support services, simply because there’s no ‘one size fits all’ option.
That’s why modern disability support services are flexible, adaptable, and tend to be a holistic approach to providing consistent care and meaningful support. If you’re looking into securing disability support services for your friend or loved one who’s living with a disability, it’s worth considering what kinds of care may be most valuable to them on an ongoing basis.
Here are just a few different benefits you can expect when exploring disability support services available to you.
Enriching the day-to-day lives of our loved ones
Many of us may view support services as being daily domestic support like home cleaning, pet care, or cooking or grocery assistance. In truth, these forms of daily support are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to disability support services. With the help of a dedicated support coordinator, a care plan for yourself or your friend or loved one can include an expansive selection of support services across a weekly schedule.
You can enlist specific services on particular days of the week to curate a comfortable and consistent routine that can facilitate easy day-to-day living, supporting you as you work, play, and perform your own personal life maintenance chores.
Your care plan can also include recreational activities, but more on that soon!
Taking advantage of government funding and other resources
Government funding of support and services for people with disabilities can be quite extensive, and there are undoubtedly a wide variety of different funds and resources that you or your loved ones may be eligible for. Understanding social security benefits can significantly increase the support and resources available to you or your loved ones. It is worth researching and exploring these options to ensure you receive the maximum assistance possible.
The issue is that many of us may not know where exactly these resources can be found. Your support coordinator may be able to point you in the right direction and establish avenues you can use to take full advantage of the government subsidised resources and services that may already be around you.
Alongside this, if you’re seeking advice about making a claim with your state or federal disability insurance provider to secure a valuable personal aid or other tool or resource, your disability support services may be able to offer extra support with your claim. It’s worth communicating with your shortlisted support providers to ensure that your selected care plan can accommodate any administrative tasks you or your loved one may need.
Making lasting community connections
One of the most important elements of any well-balanced weekly routine is being able to engage with your wider local community and feel connected to the people around you. This is why community groups, support groups, gym classes, and other social activities are considered to be an intrinsic part of not just the daily schedules of our loved ones living with disabilities, but ours as well!
If there are barriers in place that inhibit your friends or family members with disabilities from accessing social services and community groups that may be valuable to them, their disability support services will aid in addressing and removing those barriers wherever possible.
You should also feel encouraged to participate in any activities that you feel your involvement may be appropriate. For instance, signing up to the same gym classes as your friend or loved one with a disability won’t just help keep your health in check, but it can also further expand both your social circles, as well as providing you both with a shared social experience that will, in turn, strengthen your own relationship too.
Disability support services come in a wide variety of support and care options to ensure that people from all backgrounds and with all types of needs have access to a care solution that works for them.
Taking the time to communicate with your friend or loved one with a disability and maintaining a dialogue surrounding their experiences with their support package, will ensure that your loved one has consistent access to high-quality care, and all the services they may need.