How can I be helpful to someone who is in a wheelchair, is using a walker, or has some other physical limitation without being patronizing or making the person feel helpless?

“Just offer your help and gauge the reaction,” says Kate Strooband, an obstetrics nurse in Eugene, Oregon. Some people will be thankful for assistance; others will want to be completely independent. If the person is comfortable receiving help, there are several ways to make yourself useful: Open doors (doors that pull toward you can be difficult to navigate for someone using crutches or a walker), hold elevators, offer to push the wheelchair, give him an arm to lean on when negotiating stairs, and assist with getting into and out of the car. If the person is at home, make sure that the floor is clear of clutter and that there is no water on the floor in the kitchen or the bathroom (which poses a slipping hazard). Also try to put items he’ll need within easy reach of the places he sits or sleeps, so he doesn’t have to keep asking others to fetch things that he can’t get himself.