What could Pat say differently which would allow him to receive the help in a way which would be acceptable to them both? invite the group to identify some helpful phrases which could be used by the person in the case study Summarise the discussions, emphasising that accepting useful help and support from other people allows us to maintain our independence and acknowledge that changing the way we communicate can be difficult at first but becomes easier with practice. invite the group to consider accepting appropriate help the next time it is offered We talked earlier about how being able to help other people can be a positive experience and yet we find accepting and asking for help difficult. So why do we find asking for or accepting help so difficult? Let us think now about how we communicate our need for help to other people, sometimes it is about the words we use, sometimes it is about being specific in the sort of help we need. It can be helpful for us to have phrases ready for times when we know we will find it difficult. Listen to this situation: Pat, who uses crutches for walking, is in a supermarket. At the checkout he/she is struggling with unloading the trolley. The person behind in the queue offers to help. Rather than accepting this help, Pat says in an embarrassed way “No, it’s alright, I’m fine”.
What could Pat say differently which would allow him to receive the help in a way which would be acceptable to them both? invite the group to identify some helpful phrases which could be used by the person in the case study Summarise the discussions, emphasising that accepting useful help and support from other people allows us to maintain our independence and acknowledge that changing the way we communicate can be difficult at first but becomes easier with practice. invite the group to consider accepting appropriate help the next time it is offered We talked earlier about how being able to help other people can be a positive experience and yet we find accepting and asking for help difficult. So why do we find asking for or accepting help so difficult? Let us think now about how we communicate our need for help to other people, sometimes it is about the words we use, sometimes it is about being specific in the sort of help we need. It can be helpful for us to have phrases ready for times when we know we will find it difficult. Listen to this situation: Pat, who uses crutches for walking, is in a supermarket. At the checkout he/she is struggling with unloading the trolley. The person behind in the queue offers to help. Rather than accepting this help, Pat says in an embarrassed way “No, it’s alright, I’m fine”.