For people with developmental disabilities and for those who are elderly, daily tasks aren’t as easy (or possible at all) to accomplish. To assist these individuals, it’s important to understand what assisting really is and how you can help individuals live an as-independent-as-possible lifestyle.

Assistance

Assistance is not doing a task for someone, but rather assisting them towards independence. Assistance is asking the individual to tell you what help he or she needs, making sure they are able to communicate with you, making sure they are able to tell you exactly what help he or she needs, and allowing them to direct you as you help him or her.

The best way to support individuals with developmental disabilities is by providing learning assistance, such as coaching, mentoring, and tutoring; and support in learning functional skills, like activities of daily living (ADLs), or skills like eating, dressing, bathing, and exercising. These skills can all be practiced and learned (to the best of their ability) through repetition.

Eating

There are a number of things assisted living facilities and adult day cares can do to promote mealtime as an enjoyable time and help individuals maintain proper nutrition. For starters, the facility should provide a well-balanced diet that is colorful and well-seasoned – the meals should never be bland.

Meals should be individualized for every resident and should be served so individuals can interact and socialize with each other. In addition, caregivers should promote independence by encouraging self-feeding, should never force individuals to eat, and always be given sufficient time to properly chew and swallow.

There are also modified food textures that can make mealtime safer:

Chopped – food is cut into bite-size or size-specific pieces
Ground – food is small enough to swallow with little to no chewing
Puree – food texture is smooth like pudding

Exercising

Exercising can make activities of daily living (ADLs) much easier. There are four types of exercise for older adults that are recommended: strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility. While older adults may not be able to perform vigorous activities like running or squats, there are other options available that will still benefit them greatly.

Strength – working with resistance bands, using hand-held weights, climbing stairs, and gardening are all great strength exercises. These exercises can reduce the symptoms of diabetes, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis.
Endurance – walking the dog, water aerobics, and brisk walking are activities that should get the heart pumping and increase breathing rate. This will improve overall fitness, help prevent heart disease, and increase metabolism.
Balance – walking heel-to-toe and practicing standing from a seated position both are great ways to improve balance. The biggest reason to improve balance is to prevent falls, which could lead to bone fractures or breaks, brain damage, and death.
Flexibility – wall, chair, and floor exercises (including yoga!) can all increase flexibility in stiff joints, manage pain from arthritis, and increase energy levels.

People with developmental disabilities are 58% more likely to be obese than people without developmental disabilities. Five exercises are recommended for people with developmental disabilities:

Plank – one of the safest methods to strengthen the core. This will work large muscle groups and reduce body fat.
High Knees – this will stretch the hips, legs, back, and will strengthen the core. This will improve balance, stamina, endurance, and weight.
Arm Circles – this will strengthen the shoulder, neck, and upper back muscles. Upper body strength and posture will improve.
Single-Leg Balance – this will help keep individuals stable and reduce the risk of falling.
Squats – this will strengthen and stretch the core, hips, and legs. This supports the body that will keep knees and the back protected and safe.

Source: Jared Ciner and Sam Smith

You can’t do exercises for others, so the best way to assist them is to ensure they are being safe when performing the exercises, that they are performing the exercises correctly, that they are properly hydrated, and encouraging them to continue their efforts.

Every individual is different, and people with developmental disabilities and those who are elderly may struggle with ADLs at varying levels, but with proper assistance, they can live a fulfilling and independent lifestyle.

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