As you age, you may begin to develop health concerns that impact your daily life. Many of these health concerns either involve a disability or affect you like a disability—but they don’t have to slow your life down. Maintaining your independence with a disability is possible; you don’t need to send yourself off to a retirement home if you can manage in your own home. So long as you don’t ignore your disability and keep these tips for living independently with a disability in mind, you can continue living the way you want to for as long as possible.
Make Your House Easier to Live in
Depending on the scope of your disability, your home may not be the easiest place for you to live right now. If it affects your mobility, you may have difficulties with the stairs or stepping into the shower. When a disability impacts the steadiness of your hands, cooking might become an issue.
To stay independent in the home that you love, add features that improve your quality of life. You may need to add a stairlift or a shower seat or hire a house aide. While hiring someone to cook your meals or do chores would mean less independence, you can at least stay in the comfort of your home and otherwise use the time you’d spend doing chores to relax.
Stay Connected With Friends and Family
Whenever you’re in a pinch, you’ll need someone to rely on. Anything can happen while you’re living alone with a disability, and you could need immediate help. Don’t distance yourself from other people because you’re living independently; stay in contact with family, friends, and neighbors. Keep their phone numbers readily available in case of an emergency.
Keep Driving Yourself, if Possible
One of the most significant barriers to independent living is the ability to drive around safely. If you can’t drive or use public transit to do chores, you may have to subscribe to a service to do it for you. Not all disabilities prevent you from driving—you can find car accessories, such as hand controls and pedal extensions, that provide solutions to many of the functions that your disability bars you from using. Stock your vehicle with anything you could need to handle your disability to keep yourself mobile on the road.
Give Yourself Ample Time to Rest
The most important tip for living independently with a disability is to give yourself plenty of breaks. Some days will be harder than others to get things done, especially if you’re adjusting to a new disability. Take it easy on yourself, and you’ll have a better time motivating yourself to push forward when you’re ready to.