For families and those who are supporting people with physical disabilities, it can be just as daunting and confusing watching what is happening and wondering what to do to help your loved one or those who you support to do what they want to do.

Depending on the abilities of the person with a physical disability, the level of support can range from physical assistance for a few tasks around the home to full care support for all aspects of life. It can be challenging to know the amount of support to provide and to know when to take a step back and enable the person with a disability to find their own path.

For families and carers, you are part of the person’s life journey and will continue to be part of this journey regardless of the path the person takes. Your support role and level of input is however likely to reduce if your loved one has the ability to make their own decisions or as you get older yourself, you entrust others to take on this role.

Support staff form a part of the person’s life journey by filling the gaps to support the person to find balance in their life in doing what they want to do.

This section details information that is useful for anyone who is a part of the support network surrounding the person with a physical disability. It is strongly recommended that families, carers and support staff read the sections under People with Physical Disabilities also.