Living with disability
People with disabilities face challenges no matter where they live. Whether you are temporarily handicapped after an accident, surgery, depression or have a permanent disability you may need help. Often, your family members are able and willing to help but are unable to do so – lack of time, resources, knowledge and skills.
Many Canadians are unaware that the Canadian government offers tax benefits and grants for anyone who has a permanent physical or mental disability. Examples of such conditions are:
| Amputation | Anxiety disorders | Arthritis | Blindness |
| Asperger syndrome | Asthma | ADHD/ADD | Autism |
| Bipolar Disorder | Car Accidents | Cerebral Palsy | Crohn's disease |
| Anorexia nervosa | Eating Disorders | Mental Illness | Osteoarthritis |
| Learning Disability | Epilepsy | Mobility Issues | Post-traumatic stress disorder |
| Mental Retardation | FASD | Muscular Dystrophy (MD) | Chronic fatigue syndrome |
| Multiple Sclerosis (MS) | Hypothyroidism | Parkinson's disease | Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) |
| Coronary artery disease | Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
Temporary Disability
If you expect disable person to fully recover within a few weeks or months, you may want to look for help from local agencies that provide temporary relief and services paid by the provincial government.
Alternatively, you may want to place advertisement in local newspapers. There are also many online services that allow you to place an advertisement for a temporary position. Make sure that you mention that you are looking for temporary help only and state the length of the expected employment. Most of these ads attract caregivers from abroad but this type of caregiver will not do you much good – first, they need at least 1-year contract; second, by the time you are done with the paperwork, person requiring care will be up and running again.
Permanent Disability
If you or your family member has a permanent disability, the options are broader.