Caregivers: Helping People in Need

Imagine that you just had a catastrophic injury and you now need help from others temporarily or permanently to survive. There are many people who were born with a disability or had a major accident that face this reality every day. As someone with a disability called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, I have experience with this dilemma of being dependent on others to live. The people that help those like myself can be called caregivers. There are many ways that caregivers assist those in need with many day to day activities they cannot do on their own. There are many people that can fit into the caregiver role including parents, other family members, friends, and those who do it for a living. As someone with a disability, I am very appreciative to those that help me because without them I could not survive.

Understanding what caregivers do is important to understanding why they are so important to many people’s lives. Caregivers assist people who have a disability with tasks that people without a disability can’t do in their day to day lives. This can include getting out of bed, getting dressed, eating, brushing teeth, using the bathroom, driving to get somewhere, getting in bed, cleaning their personal area, etc. This might not be the case for everyone because the severity of disabilities can differ from individual to individual, which means everyone has their own needs. There could also be more specialty care that someone with a disability may need such as taking medications they need or other health related needs.

To give an example, I have limited mobility and I am in a wheelchair so I need assistance with most activities. The specialty care I need is to be given medication that prevents a valve in my heart from weakening. I also need nebulizer treatments 2-3 times a day to loosen congestion, a cough assist machine to help me cough, and a machine that assists with breathing at night. Without a caregiver, I would not be able to survive because I could not use the bathroom or eat and I would not get the specialty care I need that helps me breath. For these reasons, I am truly grateful to the many caregivers I have had in my life. This is one example so some are not as dependent on a caregiver and others are much more dependent. This shows that caregivers are vital to someone’s survival, which allows people with disabilities to have a life.

There are many people who can fit the role of a caregiver. The first line of defense for people with disabilities are parents or other family members. This is because families are the ones that care about the individuals the most and wants them to have a good life. They are also the ones around the individuals with disabilities the most and they may also live in the same house. The next kind of caregivers are those who do it for a living to earn money. They may do it for money but that does not mean they do not care for their patients. They are vital because they provide help to individuals with disabilities, which also gives the family some relief. The next group are friends who may aid their friend but are more for emotional support. They may drive or invite their friend who has a disability to social gatherings and occasionally help when they are in need. Friends are the backup for when the first two sources of help cannot assist the individual with a disability.

Caregivers are an important aspect in the lives of many people, which allows for them to live as good of a life as possible. Some people with disabilities need caregivers because their lives depend on the care they receive. The fact that people depend on caregivers does not mean they cannot have meaningful lives with a certain amount of independence. In fact, caregivers make it possible for the people that need care to be independent to make their own decision. This allows for people to go to school, possibly earn a degree, get a job, hang out with friends, and so much more. Caregivers deserve as much appreciation as they can get for all the sacrifices they make to provide people with better lives.