Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Get your passport blessed 
  • Yes, it changed us
  • The Enyobeni Tavern tragedy: lessons for our own municipality
  • The spirit of Africa in indigenous African instruments
  • A laugh a day keeps the end of fest blues away
  • The hole left by absent fathers
  • Festival Of Circles: a festival within a festival
  • The stunning story of an autistic, self-taught pianist
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
Cue Media
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»OPINION & ANALYSIS»Letters»Living with disability – some tips for families
Letters

Living with disability – some tips for families

Staff ReporterBy Staff ReporterNovember 12, 2019No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

My name is Chris Dyokomba, a 36-year-old Makhanda resident currently on temporary medical boarding. I lost mobility in June 2018 due to a hereditary neuromuscular disorder. I lost power in all my limbs and was referred to Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town for further management and assessment.

It was very difficult when the doctors struggled to treat my condition.

I became wheelchair bound and dependent on people for help with minor tasks such as bathing, physical exercise, preparing meals and transport. Whether you’re born with a disability or became disabled at a later stage, the emotional distress of having to depend on other people for assistance is the same. Some families are not equipped with the skills of looking after people with disabilities.

Here are some tips on home-based care for a physically challenged person
• Keep a diary or set an electronic reminder for all their medical appointments and treatment times.
• If the person is bedridden, the family should collaborate to support them and make it easy for them to ask for help when they need it. Regular bathing, body rubs and regular turning is necessary to avoid bedsores.
• If other family members are occupied with work or school during the day, hire a caregiver to look after your disabled family member.
• Take wheelchair-bound people outdoors as much possible so they can reconnect with the nature.
• People with disabilities need to live life alongside everyone else in the family. They need to have friends visit, watch their favourite TV programmes with their family, have access to books and magazines, go into public places with their family, focus on their spiritual healing and revive their souls.
• A social worker or psychologist can help sensitise family members to the disabled person’s needs.
• Offer your assistance: most people with disabilities are shy to ask for help because they feel like a burden to family and friends. Also your mind your body language – we are very sensitive.
• People with disabilities can benefit from being in organisations or support groups that cater for their special needs.
• People who have lost mobility need to ensure they have a balanced diet with regular appropriate physical exercise. This helps build strength and avoid non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and auto-immune problems.

A special thanks to my family, friends and personal carer for looking after me. My multi-disciplinary team of doctors, specialists, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, psychologist and social workers are doing a remarkable job and there is already a great improvement.

Previous ArticleIsiXhosa naso sigqwesile kwiiMbasa Zababhali boMzantsi Afrika
Next Article Fears as hate-crime attackers roam free
Staff Reporter
  • Website

Related Posts

A plea to citizens from Makana Revive

Have the cornerstones of local democracy broken down?

Thank you, Makana Parks, for sprucing up the Joza Youth Hub for our 14 May Open Day

Comments are closed.

Cue for you!
Cue for you!
Cue for you!
Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Latest video

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2022 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.