As it is Deafblind Awareness Week (24th-30th June 2024), we think it's an important time to educate ourselves and others about this condition. It also gives us an opportunity to explore how live-in and home care can make a really big difference in the lives of those affected by deafblindness.
Access Care is a dedicated live-in care agency that understands the unique challenges faced by people with deafblindness. Our aim is to provide comprehensive home care solutions tailored to each of our home care client’s individual needs.
In this post, we'll cover everything you need to know about deafblindness, the importance of awareness, and how live-in and home care can improve the quality of life for those affected.
Access Care Explains: Deafblindness
What is Deafblindness?
Deafblindness is the combination of both hearing and vision loss. It doesn’t always mean being completely unable to hear and see but can range from mild to severe impairment in both senses. This dual sensory loss can make it hard for people to communicate, access information, and experience mobility challenges.
Causes of Deafblindness
Deafblindness can be congenital (which means present at birth) or something that is acquired later on in life. Some common causes of deafblindness can include:
Genetic conditions such as Usher syndrome.
Infections for example; rubella during pregnancy.
Age-related issues like macular degeneration and hearing loss.
Accidents or illnesses that can lead to sensory damage.
Impact on Daily Life
Living with deafblindness can make even the most simple daily tasks challenging. Communication becomes difficult, mobility is restricted, and accessing information requires specialised devices or assistance. This is where the role of a live-in or home carer becomes really crucial.
The Importance of Deafblind Awareness Week
Raising Awareness
Deafblind Awareness Week, celebrated this year in the last week of June, is an ideal opportunity to raise awareness about the condition and the challenges faced by those living with deafblindness. It aims to educate the public, reduce stigma, and promote understanding.
Advocating for Support and Services
This week also highlights the need for better support services and accessibility for people living with deafblindness. Advocacy efforts tend to focus on helping to make sure that people with deafblindness have equal opportunities and access to care (including live-in care), education, and employment.
Celebrating Strength and Resilience
Deafblind Awareness Week is also a time to celebrate the strength and resilience of those living with dual sensory loss and their dedicated carers who support them. At Access Care, we take pride in our live-in carers who go above and beyond to provide compassionate and effective home care.
How Live-in and Home Care Can Help
Personalised Home Care Solutions
At Access Care, we aim to tailor our home care services to the unique needs of each of our home care clients. For someone with deafblindness, this means understanding their specific level of sensory loss and tailoring our home care approach accordingly.
Enhancing Mobility and Independence
Mobility can be a big challenge for people with deafblindness. Our live-in carers assist with navigation and orientation, ensuring that the home care client can move around safely and independently. We also support the use of mobility aids like guide dogs and white canes.
Emotional and Social Support
Living with deafblindness can be isolating. Our home carers provide emotional and social support, helping their home care clients stay connected with their loved ones and engaged in their community. We also like to encourage participation in social activities and hobbies to enhance the mental well-being of all of our live-in care clients.
Health and Well-being
Maintaining overall health and well-being is crucial for everyone, including our live-in care clients. Our home carers assist their clients with daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation. We also monitor health conditions and ensure that any medication that our home care clients are prescribed with is taken when correctly.
The Role of Access Care in Supporting Home Care Clients with Deafblindness
Expertise and Compassion
Access Care is not just a live-in care agency; we are a community of dedicated home care professionals who are committed to enhancing the quality of life for our home care clients. Our home carers are carefully selected to provide expert home care with compassion and empathy.
Building Strong Relationships
We believe in building strong relationships with all of our home care clients and their families. Understanding the home care client’s preferences, routines, and personality helps us provide personalised home care that truly makes a difference.
Flexibility of Live-in Care
At Access Care we understand that our home care client’s needs can change from time to time or as their condition progresses. This is why we regularly check in with our clients and their loved ones to make sure we are supporting them in the very best way that we can.
How to Contact us at Access Care
Living with deafblindness can present some unique challenges, but with the right support, such as live-in care, people living with deafblindness can lead fulfilling and independent lives. During Deafblind Awareness Week, we actively encourage everyone to learn more about this condition and to consider how they can contribute to making the world more accessible and inclusive for all of those living with disabilities.
At Access Care, we are dedicated to providing high-quality live-in and home care that meets the needs of our home care clients with deafblindness. If you think you or a loved one could benefit from our home care services, we invite you to learn more about our care arrangements and have a chat with us.
If you would like yourself or your loved one to experience compassionate and expert home care then please do not hesitate to give us here at Access Care a call on 01624 319 399 or alternatively you can email us at hello@access-care.co.uk. We would love to hear from you and discuss how we can help support you or a loved one in the comfort of your own home.
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