Benefits of Companion Care for Adults With Non-Physical Special Needs

If you have an adult child who has developmental delays or a behavioral disorder, you can no longer rely on the public school system or other programs. Your child might be able to provide for some of their own needs, but they also might need help with day-to-day living.

Many families are not able to provide the daily companionship that some adults with developmental special needs require. Even if your adult child is mobile, they might need help with preparing meals, having social interactions, and earning an income.

To help meet these needs, you might consider hiring an adult sitter who has experience with nursing and companion home care. Here are some benefits to consider as you make this choice for or with your adult child.

The goal of care for people with special needs is to help them develop the ability to live as independently as possible. Companion caregivers have nursing training or social work training to help your child make improvements.

For example, with a daily companion, your child might be able to live away from your home. They could have their own space and begin life as an adult with the help that a companion provides. Your child might even be able to get employment if they have high-functioning abilities and a companion to help them stick to a schedule and pack food for the day.

Living away from home gives adult children options to choose their own path or to make their own mistakes. Many people with disabilities possess the faculty to learn and make decisions based on what they want from life, but they still need some assistance from an aide.

Some individuals might experience periods of independence, but they also might have trouble with feeling overwhelmed. For example, someone with a sensory processing disorder might be able to work well with a schedule and a living space set up to make them comfortable.

However, changes to their space or invited chaos could trigger a reaction that requires exterior help. A nurse-trained companion can help to provide counseling, coping mechanisms, or even medication at the moment to work through times of difficulty that would normally lead to behavioral problems or troublesome accidents.

Part of living independently means being able to get where you need to go. You might worry that your adult child cannot live on their own because they aren't able to take the bus, drive a car, or ride a bike without help.

A companion service makes these modes of transportation possible. They can help a person with special needs get to the bus on time. If a car is needed, they might provide driving as part of their service. Ideally, a person might live in an area where many amenities can be reached in walking distance to help give your child as much independence as possible.

If you are not at home to give your child medications or vitamins or to prepare meals in a certain way because of intolerances, a nurse home assistant can help. You don't have to be consistently tied to your adult child's medical care, but you also can't leave medications in the hands of a person with special needs who may not understand them or be consistent in taking them.

Instead, you might opt to have a professional in place to disburse medications and help with mealtime, especially if you won't be there or if your child wants to try living alone.

For more information, contact us at Redi-Nurse at your convenience.