Introduction To A Support Worker
Just as the name suggests, a support worker is a person who offers assistance and care to the persons with disabilities. A support worker usually caters for a wide range of disabilities such as physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive and sensory. Depending upon the gravity of the disability, people often need the help and assistance from others to perform everyday tasks. This is where a professional support worker comes in aid.
Support workers can derive from various occupational background which are primarily from health care, nursing, social work and community care, psychology, occupational therapy, behavioural therapy and many alike. They are responsible for providing practical help along with emotional support for those who require special help to lead an independent life on their own terms.
Who Require Assistance from Support Workers?
Mostly, the people suffering from a significant disability (such as physical, intellectual or cognitive) which is hindering their daily living activities require professional help and support from a disability support worker. Besides, those older adults who find it hard to commence daily activities for being feeble, can also get the help of support workers.
Simply put, support workers may be associated with social services, health services, community services or other important services.
Importance Of Disability Support Workers
Disability support workers are one the most important and crucial members of the society. By providing their specialised aid and support to the individuals with disability and older adults, they help them to lead a more independent and accepted form of life with less struggle.
They also act as a bridge for the people with disability to get connected with the outer world. They help them to propel in their life by offering impeccable services such as general care, community assistance, travel support, skill training and many more confidence boosting support services.
The role of disability support workers can be equally important for the people who might need extra support for recovering from an illness or serious injury. A support worker can help by offering assistance in household chores, cleaning works, cooking, gardening or shopping. They may also help the individual by taking him/her to their appointments or activities essential for them.
This way or the other, disability support workers prove to be an integral part of the healthcare industry offering invaluable assistance to those who need it the most.
How Can A Disability Support Worker Help You?
As discussed above, a disability support worker can help people with different sort of disabilities perform their everyday tasks which they might find tough to deal with. Their services usually include helping one with their process of daily routine activities such as taking a bath, dressing, eating, toileting, taking medicines on time and many more.
They can also assist with activities of daily life including meal preparation, housekeeping and laundry works. Moreover, in addition to these services, they can also help participants in recreational activities such as skill development program for self-care, guidance on how to use adaptive equipment or to teach them how to perform such recreational and adaptive tasks on their own.
How To Find A Reliable Disability Support Worker?
Finding an experienced and reliable support worker for a person with disability can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have superior knowledge over the disability support industry. However, you can always start from the basic. If you are looking for a disability support worker, try search online first. You are likely to find several disability care providers with proper experience over the field.
Besides, you can also look for recommendations from your friends and neighbours who have recently (or in the past) came across with a disability care provider for their specific needs. Once you get a recommendation, know details about their reputation and the way of their work. Personally experienced recommendations often work better to judge the capabilities of a support worker.
Another good and reliable source of recommendation can be your physician or a trusted health professional as they come across support workers due to their profession.
When you are looking to engage a support worker, be sure to ask them about their qualifications, experiences and about their capabilities to managing an adverse situation beforehand.
And always remember, it is not about the availability of the support worker you should be depending on, but for their capabilities to mitigate your own personal requirements.
Looking For Disability Support Worker In Sydney, NSW?
As one of the leading registered NDIS service providers in Sydney, NSW, our support workers at OSAN Ability are highly trained to provide all kinds of services, specially tailored to you to increase your independence and quality of life.
Feel free to find out more about our services by visiting us or by calling us on 1300 799 941