Recommendations for people with reduced mobility and their environment.

Looking after a person in a dependency situation is not an easy task. It is a life-changing situation for everybody involved and we have to adapt and get used to that new reality. The adaptation period is hard, but with time people manage to cope well.  Humexe would like to give you some recommendations for people with reduced mobility.

What to do after receiving the news?

In various aspects of life, it takes time for one to adapt. There is a range of new practices that a person has to adopt. Many people with reduced mobility say that it is like starting everything all over again.

The first thing one should do to confront this new condition, is to do the rehabilitation for a while. It is common for the person to feel depressed in the first phase. It is very important that one doesn’t close oneself off. There are many support groups offering help.  Speaking to a professional also helps to ‘improve’ the way in which one adapts to this new lifestyle.

It is possible to be independent

Rehabilitation is important since you will learn how to do things by yourself. Asking for help feels sometimes uncomfortable but necessary. We always depend on somebody’s help for the simplest things, never mind if we are in the same situation or not.

What health concerns should we have?

It is important to pay attention to any signs or changes in one’s health; hence the people who are helping should be aware of the medical needs of a person with reduced mobility.

For example, pressure ulcers are one of the health issues the people in the patient’s close environment should watch out for. To be informed about the risks helps in prevention and improves the quality of life. Having a healthy diet and looking to take part in activities that one liked before the injury, although it may be with some modifications, are all ways to adapt to the ‘new life’.

Of course an injury changes a person’s life, but with effort one can maintain a lifestyle of higher quality. It is a difficult issue to deal with and many people don’t have enough information to be able to help or give the best advice. Therefore it is so important to have everybody’s support, not only at a personal but also at a professional level.