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SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS TO RISE FOR 2023   [11/1/2022]  

The Social Security Administration has announced that its beneficiaries will see a significant increase – totaling nearly 9 percent – in their monthly Social Security checks come January 2023. This cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is the largest boost to Social Security benefits in more than 40 years. The increase for 2022 was 5.9 percent...

 Why Are Doctors Failing to Treat People With Special Needs? [10/28/2022]

From difficulties securing transportation for medical appointments to encountering inaccessible health care websites, people with various disabilities encounter barriers to basic health care on a regular basis.

Some doctors are only making these disparities worse, recent research suggests.

A focus group study of 22 primary care physicians from across the country revealed five main themes regarding the challenges these physicians reported in caring for people with disabilities:

• Physical accommodations – The physicians’ buildings, exam rooms, and medical equipment may not comply with accessibility laws for patients with disabilities, such as wheelchair users.
• Communication accommodations – Doctors reported that they often rely on the caregiver of a patient with special needs to communicate about their care. None of the physicians participating in the study offer their patients documentation in Braille. Few provide printed communications material in large type for individuals who have low vision.
• Knowledge, experience, and skills – The study participants acknowledged a lack of experience among themselves and their staff in addressing the needs of people with disabilities. Many of the doctors also reported having little familiarity with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Structural barriers – The primary care physicians also cited such dynamics as limited time for patient appointments and the burden of paperwork as creating barriers to providing comprehensive care for patients with special needs.
• Attitudes toward people with disabilities – Some doctors, the researchers found, exhibited negative attitudes – even explicit bias – about patients with disabilities. This included the language they used when talking about their patients or describing the needs of these patients as an inconvenience.

While some physicians were aware they could not deny a patient care based on a disability, others “reflected on strategies that would allow them to discharge the patients but minimize risk for lawsuits or other consequences.”

While stressing the need for clinicians and policymakers alike to work on confronting these challenges, the study’s authors also assert that such efforts are still not enough to guarantee that people with disabilities are receiving quality health care.

“Perpetuation of inequitable care for people with disabilities,” they write, “is inconsistent with the mission of medicine and public health.

Amid this research, other scholars have reported findings that people with disabilities have been at far greater risk of dying from COVID-19. For instance, those with intellectual disabilities were six time more likely to die after contracting COVID-19 than other members of the population.

Read more in the research article, titled “‘I Am Not the Doctor for You’: Physicians’ Attitudes About Caring for People With Disabilities.”

5 Helpful Tips for Caregivers of Loved Ones With Special Needs  [10/18/2022]

November will mark National Family Caregivers month. Studies show that looking after those with special needs exacts a toll on caregivers. This Thanksgiving season, shift your focus a little and remember that you must take care of yourself if you want to continue caring for others.

As the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” If you have been a caregiver for a loved one with a disability or chronic illness, ensure that you are healthy physically and mentally. Here are five tips that can help you prioritize self-care.

1. Know Your Limits.

It is admirable that you are caring for a disabled loved one, but you must keep your abilities and skill set in mind. Even if you are a health care worker, you still may need to contact professional help in some situations.

Create and maintain a good relationship with your loved one’s medical team, and do not hesitate to contact their doctor when something is beyond your ability.

2. Try to Avoid Burnout.

The subject of burnout usually centers on stressful jobs that essentially cause workers to lose themselves in their work. Caregivers also face the risk of experiencing burnout, and the chances of burnout may be greater because some caregivers do not think they can stop working.

Burnout is mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, which can come about for many reasons. Causes of burnout include:

• Trying to live up to unrealistic expectations, whether they are your expectations or those of family or friends.
• The inability to control your loved one’s condition, particularly if their condition worsens over time.
• Feeling unable to separate your role as your loved one’s spouse, partner, parent, child, or friend from the role of their caregiver. Setting boundaries is an essential part of making this distinction.

3. Lean Into Your Support System.

Part of caring for yourself is learning to delegate responsibility. It is impossible to do everything alone and maintain good mental health. If you have family members willing to take on some of the work and responsibilities of caring for a loved one, let them!

Similarly, make an effort to express your concerns and anxieties to your family and friends. Caring for disabled loved ones is very stressful, no matter how rewarding in some respects. Remember that you are only human; it is OK to need a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, and someone else to take charge for a while.

4. Create a Support System If You Don’t Have One.

If you do not have family support, create a support team by reaching out to other caregivers. Various resources are available to help you create a network to lean on when caring for a disabled loved one becomes overwhelming.

Among the online and in-person groups that provide emotional support, offer tips about caring for a loved one with special needs, and can point you in the direction of community resources if you need help caring for your loved one are the following:

• Different Dream
• Mommies of Miracles
• The Arc
• The Caregiver Action Network

5. Plan for the Future.

You cannot hold the reins forever, and you know that there is a possibility that you will need to choose someone to act as your disabled loved one’s caretaker in the future. The thought probably causes anxiety and contributes to your overall stress level. To alleviate that anxiety, start planning. One way to plan for the future is by creating a Memorandum of Intent.

A Memorandum of Intent guides future caregivers so that they know how to care for your disabled loved one properly. You can include any information you think will be helpful for them, including a list of your loved one’s medications as well as their likes and dislikes, contact information for health care providers, their schedule of daily activities, and so on.

Take Care of Yourself This Holiday Season

This Thanksgiving holiday, remember that your loved ones are thankful for your care and attention. You owe it to yourself to be easier on yourself. Let your time with your family and loved ones remind you that you are not in this alone and you do not need to do everything on your own. Fill your cup with those around you, and you will see that you can better care for your loved one with special needs.