By Cole Watts, Guest Writer

If someone you love has been diagnosed with a disability or serious medical condition their mental state can be somewhat affected. Learning what to expect in the time following a serious and life-altering diagnosis can help you feel more prepared and may put you in a better position to assist them to work through this process. Simply knowing what to expect, can help you better aide the person in their time of need.

Remember that receiving a diagnosis of a disability is a life-altering event. In some cases, such as with a stroke or a disability that follows an accident, that change may be incredibly sudden. There may be other reactions if a disease causes a slow, steady decline in physical ability.

At first, a person may seem almost as if they are in mourning and in some ways, they are. They are mourning the loss of their old life. Depending on what causes the disability, they may also be worrying that their condition will change suddenly and that they may lose what level of ability they have left. They may also be angry and asking why they were affected instead of someone else. Allowing these feelings to work their way out can help a person come to terms with what is going on in their life and help them face the future in a more positive and productive way. If, however, it seems as though these feelings have become self-destructive then counseling may be necessary.

Both caregivers and those with disabilities may be afraid of what the future has to offer with this new disability. There may be concerns about financial stability. Some medical conditions may be expensive to treat and if the person is unable to work there may be concerns about money for treatment. They may also be worried about what will happen if they lose their primary caregiver if they can’t provide their own care. This can be especially true if a person needs to move or alter their existing home in order to accommodate a wheel chair or other medical equipment.

One of the best ways to help quell worries about the future is to speak to the primary care physician and any specialists in order to find out what is likely to happen down the road. Finding ways to retrofit a home to make it more accessible and does not have to cost a massive amount of money. By being proactive, it can also give an individual with a disability a feeling of hope for the future.

As a caregiver, it is important to realize that you may be experiencing many of the same thoughts and emotions that your loved one is feeling. By acknowledging these worries, you can keep working towards a better home situation for both you and your loved one.

Cole writes on behalf of AmeriGlide, a recognized leader in stair lifts, vertical lifts, and wheelchair lifts on the Internet. Based in Raleigh North Carolina, AmeriGlide is dedicated to providing top quality medical equipment, while serving the needs of their customers.

If you, or someone in your family received a recent disability diagnosis and want to get back into your community, please contact The Ability Center’s Home Accessibility Program.