Caring For a Disabled Senior: Tips You Need to Know

If there’s a disabled senior in your life—whether a grandparent, parent, or another loved one—caring for them can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when they depend on you for daily support. Getting older often comes with physical limitations, making it harder to manage everyday tasks independently. This might mean your loved one needs help with activities of daily living like meal preparation, light housekeeping, feeding, and personal hygiene.

To make sure that you are providing your loved one with the best level of care, these tips will help you figure out a plan to make both your life and theirs as carefree as possible. 

9 Tips for Providing Care to Disabled Adults 

For caregivers and family members, it takes time to learn, acclimate, and get used to providing in-home care services for your loved one. Whether you’re new to this arena or want extra support with personal care services, here are 10 helpful tips to keep you on track. 

Understand Their Specific Needs

Understand that seniors face both physical and cognitive challenges, and each of their care needs is unique. Set up an appointment where you can meet with medical advisors one-on-one so you can understand their medical chart – especially for disabled adults. 

Starting from the very beginning takes away all of the stressful elements of creating a care plan. Break down large tasks into smaller ones to help you to create a practical to-do list.

Create a Safe Environment 

To make sure your senior is well taken care of in their own home, consider the following home modifications:

• No-slip flooring: Be aware of slippery rugs or surfaces that cause them to fall.
• Adequate lighting: Many older adults have limited vision, so make sure the house is well-lit, especially at night. Adding nightlights to areas they will be walking (like the bedroom and bathroom) will help. 
• Clear pathways: Be aware of clutter and make sure walkways are free of any obstructions. 
• Add handrails: To help prevent falls and accidents, add handrails in the bathroom, shower, stairs, and anywhere else that may be helpful. 
• Keep medications clearly labeled and safely stowed: Determine if you are administering medication to your loved one. If you are, make sure medications are safely stowed away. If you are not, write big, easy-to-read labels so they can easily find the correct medication. 
• Keep in mind fire safety: Check to make sure that there are proper smoke detectors and that a fire safety plan is in place for your senior. 
• Regular visits: Make a schedule on who will be with your loved one at what times, and be sure to create a steady routine so they know when to expect you. Strike up conversations with them and deeply listen, as many face loneliness with this quality of life. 

Help Them Maintain Independence

Consider providing technology and devices that will help them maintain independence, such as smart home devices, medical alerts, and ergonomic furniture, so they feel more comfortable and mobile. 

Many of these practices are upheld in a nursing home, nursing facility, or group home. Encourage them to be independent if they feel comfortable while assuring them you’re there for extra help. Helping your loved one feel more independent will give them more confidence. 

Address Incontinence Issues

According to the CDC, about 50% of adults over the age of 65 have reported some kind of urinary or bowel incontinence issue or leak – so it’s best to be prepared. Research the best incontinence practices, such as getting them the right incontinence products, which could include adult diapers, briefs, pads, bedtime underpads, and more. Explore bladder training schedules and adjust diet and lifestyle as needed to help support them. 

Prioritize Healthy Meals and Nutrition 

It’s easy to let healthy nutrition fall through the cracks when caring for family members or people with disabilities. Make sure that they’re getting adequate nutrition, eating whole, balanced meals with plenty of healthy protein, fiber, fruits, and vegetables. Ensure they’re well-hydrated with water, as this helps maintain good health and is especially great to avoid UTIs and further incontinence issues. 

For some individuals, you may consider feeding aids, such as bibs. Adaptive utensils are a great option for those with disabilities or who have fine motor skill issues. Food guards and adaptive dinnerware will also help avoid spills. 

Make sure meal preparations are thorough and scheduled so your loved one is prepared for nutrient-dense meals.  Do your research on healthy diets for various disabilities to make sure your senior gets the nutrients they need. 

Communicate Clearly 

Many seniors are hard of hearing, so it’s important for them to know that they can understand you clearly. Speak louder and slower than normal, write notes with big lettering, and develop non-verbal cues that you both understand if they need to give you a message, and vice versa. Pay attention to body language, use cue cards to communicate things clearly, and, most of all, be patient. 

Don’t Forget to Care for Yourself

There are many physical and emotional struggles that you are going to face during this process of in-home care. So make sure that you block some time out that is devoted to personal care and just take some time just for you.

Aside from the people in your life who support you, there is also the option to join support groups for those who are in the same or similar situations. The people in your life might not be able to fully relate to you because they are not in your situation, but when you are around like-minded people who are going through something similar, you will feel less overwhelmed. The following resources can help guide you:

• How to Develop Natural Supports: What does “Natural Supports” really mean? It is all around you.
• Building Personal Support Networks - The best way to start building a personal support network is to focus on what you have to contribute to the people around you.
• Find a Disability-Related Peer Support Group Near You! - Check out this list below of disability-related support groups across the U.S.
• LGBTQ+ Aging & Abilities Support Network (LAASN) - addresses social isolation as well as emotional, behavioral, & health challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer seniors and adults with disabilities.
• Support groups: Make connections, get help - If you're facing a major illness or stressful life change, you don't have to go it alone. A support group can help.

Know When to Consider Professional Help 

As someone who provides support services, you want to do your best to give excellent care. However, some things are best left to medical professionals. Here are some signs that you may need to make a medical appointment or get further help from a long-term care facility that comes with medical care: 

• Frequent hospitalizations
• Significant worsening of health conditions 
• Cognitive decline that feels unmanageable
• Financial strain on you or your family 

Remain an Advocate 

Teach yourself all that you need to know to make the process as seamless as you can. By having the most up-to-date information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act, you are not only helping yourself but helping others who might not be as familiar with these resources. 

Another way to be an advocate is by correctly storing and learning your loved one's medical records. Make sure that you stay on top of them and aware of them. If other caregivers come into their lives, whether full-time or as respite care, then you will be able to accurately inform them of the type of care your disabled senior needs and save a lot of the guesswork. 

This is also going to help bring you the peace of mind that they are being taken care of in the best way possible, even when you cannot care for them yourself. If something is important to you, then you are always going to make time for it.

Resources for Caregivers of Disabled Adults 

Many government agencies have programs designed to boost the well-being of seniors and others with disabilities. Following is a list of these programs:

• Disabilities (Healthfinder.gov): This government website has information and tools to help caregivers and their loved ones stay healthy.
• Disabilities en español (Healthfinder.gov): Spanish-language version of healthfinder.gov, a government website with information and tools to help caregivers and their loved ones stay healthy.
• Disabilities (MedlinePlus®): About one in five people in the U.S. has a disability. Some people are born with one. Others have them because of an illness or injury. Learn more from the National Library of Medicine at NIH.
• Discapacidades (MedlinePlus®): Spanish-language version of resources provided by the National Library of Medicine at NIH.
• Get Help: People with Disabilities (Administration for Community Living): The ACL doesn’t provide services directly but funds a wide variety of programs managed by states and localities to meet the needs of the community.
• Discrimination on the Basis of Disability (Office for Civil Rights): Learn about the role of HHS in enforcing non-discrimination requirements in health care and social services programs.
• Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Administration for Community Living): Dedicated to ensuring that people with developmental disabilities and their families can fully enjoy and contribute to their communities.

How Parentgiving Can Help You as a Care Provider 

Whatever unique and special needs or impairments your senior may have, you’re not alone. Parentgiving is here with educational articles and resources to support families as they navigate this stage of life.

Discover a range of high-quality products at Parentgiving, from incontinence and hygiene essentials to so much more—all designed to enhance comfort and well-being. Visit parentgiving.com to learn more and find the right support for your loved one.