Enhancing Health and Well-being

A well-balanced diet is important for your loved one’s well-being as it provides them with the nutrients required for health and development. While encouraging them to have a balanced and healthy diet, you may face challenges like²:

• Limited ability to consume certain types of food: Some persons with physical disabilities, for example, require softer food or a liquid diet because of their difficulties in chewing or swallowing.
• Like and dislike for food items: Persons with autism or intellectual disabilities may express strong preferences for foods of specific textures, colours and flavours, limiting the range of food they consume.

You can work with professionals such as dieticians to shape dietary plans for your loved one. They can help recommend food substitutes and strategies to cater to your loved one’s needs or food preferences. For persons with autism and intellectual disabilities, the professionals may also recommend interventions to increase their acceptance of new foods³.

You can also consider providing them food in portions recommended by Health Promotion Board’s Healthy Plate. This comprises filling a quarter of the plate with wholegrains, another quarter with proteins and the remaining half of the plate with fruits and vegetables.

An active lifestyle can enhance your loved one’s physical, mental and social well-being. This can be achieved through participating in sports and recreational activities. Sports and exercise can also help them to build muscles and help them stay fit, improving their physical health. In addition, through sports, there are opportunities for persons with disabilities to acquire social skills, develop independence, and build physical and mental strength. Engaging in team sports teaches individuals how to work together, respect each other and communicate effectively⁴.

Inclusive sporting activities at various ActiveSG sports centres are available. Your loved one can also join community groups like Runninghour.

Based on their interest and availability, they can consider participating in the recreational activities provided by the following organisations:

• ART:DIS;
• Eden Activity Club
• Me Too! Club
• Rainbow Centre Young Adult Activities!

Sleep plays an important role in maintaining the physical and emotional well-being of your loved one. It also helps consolidate learning and memory and is associated with positive outcomes in problem-solving and decision-making. You can emphasise the importance of sleep to your loved one and set reminders for them to sleep if needed.

Your loved one’s sleep may be affected by their disability. For example, children and teenagers with autism may have irregular sleeping and waking patterns and end up sleeping much less than required for their age⁵. This may be due to biological changes, anxiety or difficulties in social communication. You can consult their doctor to understand their challenges better and find out the cause of their sleep difficulties, which would help you better address them. For example, if the cause is overstimulation, you can help them avoid too much excitement before bedtime or restrict the use of their mobile devices at night. You can also explore other possible reasons for sleeping difficulties and solutions.

Regular health screening is important for your loved one as it can help detect problems early. Encourage them to see a doctor or medical professional if they feel unwell as this will help them to keep a tab on their general health and manage their condition, especially if it is a progressive disability like muscular dystrophy. They can visit accessible clinics and medical facilities like MINDS Clinic and Mount Alvernia Outreach Medical Clinic for regular health check-ups and medical appointments.

Such appointments are also important as persons with disabilities may have a higher risk of developing health issues such as diabetes, stroke, or mental health conditions⁶. Your loved one should see the doctor if they experience signs of bring unwell physically or psychologically. These include weight fluctuations, feeding issues, behaviour changes or altered sleeping patterns⁷.