Meal Time for the Frail

Even meal time can be a bit of a challenge with a bed ridden individual because the care giver will need to make sure that they can safely get the patient into a sitting position or they will often time need to feed that person by hand to assure that they get the food properly. These individuals also need to eat on specific time tables so scheduling meals is a must to assure things flow smoothly. In addition, the person’s ability to chew and/or swallow needs to be factored in. If teh patient is on a semi-solid or liquid diet, then the caregiver has to be aware of the nutritional quality of the foods to ensure that the patient is adequately nourished.

Traveling with a Frail Person

Even if a person is bedridden, eventualities may arise where they will need to venture out of the house. Remember that the person would still enjoy being out of their bed even if they have limited mobility. A trip to the doctor or an important family event like a wedding needs to be carefully planned. The obvious measures would be using the handicapped parking or parking as close to the building as possible. But with the frail, you also have to take into consideration other factors like sunlight and heat within the car. There is nothing worse having to sit on scalding hot upholstery on a car. Now imagine if you are disabled and cannot moved to find a comfortable spot. As insignificant a point as it may seem to the abled body, to a frail person it could make the difference between burns or even ulcers if the area gets infected.

Patient Care for the Bedridden

Bedridden patients are prone to bed sores and a range of skin diseases if they are not cared for appropriately. This means regular bathing and changing of adequately cleaned bed lined, turning the person onto different positions and avoiding food spills or messing (urine, feces) on the clothing or linen.

A bedridden patient still enjoys entertainment and a system for them to control the TV, radio or lights will greatly improve the quality of life and give the patient some sense of independence. Another important consideration is a buzzer or bell to attract the caregiver’s attention. The inability to communicate can in certain situations mean life or death. As a caregiver, you cannot always be by the patient’s bedside but a proper means to monitor the patient and be reached remotely is important.

Taking on the job to care for the frail or elderly is no easy task. If it is not your occupation and you do not have the training for it, there is a lot to learn and even more to think about at every turn. The best place to get started is to speak to the patient’s doctor, visit a nursing home or institution caring for a people with similar impairments and possibly even paying a nursing sister to come over and teach you on ways to take care of the person for a few days.

Being blind, one does not really know what is before them as far as obstacles, that is, until they find them the hard way. Initially, clearing all walkways of clutter is of great help. There is no need to move set items like furniture and so on. These type things become a good tool in learning and practicing mobility skills, which is the top priority in learning to function blind in the world around them.

Moving Around the House when Blind

To gain some insight into the initial needs of a blind person entering the household, close your eyes and try to navigate your way across the room. Then, repeat this in all the areas of the home that are most likely to be frequented by the blind individual. This will give you an idea if something is in need of adjustment. Take note though, the blind cannot open their eyes and see when faced with an obstacle. Patience is truly a virtue when dealing with the blind. Everything they do is as if for the very first time. Granted, time and practice do bring comfort and ease of movement.

Some aids that can be introduced into the home to assist a blind person fall more into the area of peace of mind. A really great aid is a talking clock. The desire to know the time of day when you cannot see it is just as important for the mind’s sake. Most household aids for the blind or visually impaired can be looked at in two categories, those concerning safety and the others aiding in comfort, for lack of a better word.

Sticky Bump Dots for the Blind

Providing a means of identification, while discerning the difference between a tube of toothpaste and a tube of hemorrhoid ointment, is as simple as a glance for the sighted person. Not so for the blind or visually impaired. The same is true for many other common household items.

One of the best yet simplest blind aids available is simple self-stick bump dots. Apply the bump dots to a given item in a pattern or placement location on an item and it can be easily recognized when picked up. Simple steps like this allow the blind or visually impaired to regain some sense of independence. Also, it keeps the likelihood of accidental or harmful use to a minimum. The use of bump dots can go from the basics of identifying cosmetics to allowing proper use of things like a microwave and even washer and dryer. The use of these is only limited by the creativity used to implement the bump dots.

There is no real need to alter or apply aids to most household functions for example, light switches, doorknobs and steps. The mind’s “muscle memory” aspect kicks in fairly quickly and reaching for these common things remains like second nature. Certain set dimensions are standard in the home building industry. Along with the above mentioned, cabinets, countertops, vanities, medicine cabinets and even toilets tend to follow common placement rules.

The safety aids tend to be more the nature of practicing common sense by the sighted in the home. Things like closing cabinets, leaving doors either closed or open, removing protrusions at head level are very important in aiding to the mobility of the blind. Before learning to use a cane, the blind tend to feel around chest to shoulder height to aid them in navigation, hence, leaving their face exposed to objects protruding at that level. This becomes even more important as they learn and rely more on their cane.

As the person “matures” in their blindness or visual impairment, the need for constant vigilance lessens somewhat. Learning to read Braille enables easier marking of objects and the level of confidence gained by that person will enable almost flawless integration into the household.

Upon being determined blind or legally blind, the process is quite different than that of other disability applications. As mentioned previously, the claims approval rate is nearly 100%. The turnaround to decision and starting benefits is approximately 4 months as compared to other types of disability claims where the average decision/benefit time is 18-24 months. Along with monetary benefits comes medical benefit approval via Medicare at 2 years from the date of approval of benefits. The date of benefits is retroactive to the date of application with medical bill coverage extending back beyond that date for 3-6 months for applicable medical bills.

The amount of monetary benefit is determined by rate of FICA tax deducted from one’s employment income. The average monthly benefit amount generally falls in the area of $700 to $900. For those applicants deemed not qualified due to lack of sufficient pay into social security, be it through lack of work history in the specified time period or in the case of a child, there is another avenue available – SSI. SSI, or more correctly, Supplemental Security Income, is determined by the Social Security Administration, but it is managed at the individual state level.

While blindness can be viewed as a fast track to obtaining one’s due benefits, the chance of claim denial does exist. However small, it is there. As with any dealings with the Social Security Administration concerning disability benefits, the hiring of an attorney specializing in disability claims should be considered. Attorneys familiar with the claims process can assure that you have the proper forms completed and that medical paperwork supporting your claim is adequate and sufficient enough in volume to overwhelmingly support your claim. When viewed on the basis of strength of case, the use of an attorney is not necessarily needed in a blind person’s application process.

The chances of returning to gainful employment are far more woeful than those involved with benefit approval/denial. Less than 0.075% of the blind in the world are employed in a gainful capacity. The nature of the compensation received by an attorney is a  25% or a cap at $5000 deducted from the lump sum of back benefits accumulated during the  application process.

If you are blind, a sighted person, family or friend, doing the paperwork is adequate in most cases. This highlights another self-defeating issue when dealing with the Social Security Administration. While mandated by federal law to provide accessible material for the blind, they do not offer this for the application process. They will offer to read everything and to assist in the writing needed. Being blind, it is very difficult to trust someone you cannot see and do not know. This is where the family member or good friend comes in. Even should you hire an attorney, someone sighted whom you trust is very much the number one requirement in undertaking this whole process.

Airport Transfer and Handicap Parking

The first challenge is often simply getting into an airport. While the laws state that there must be a certain amount of handicapped parking available, it is quite often already in use and still can present a long walk from the parking garage to the terminal. If you are looking at an airport transfer, a conventional taxi may not do if your partner is wheelchair-bound.

Handicap Check Points at the Airport

One of the difficulties in check-in is that while it might take an average healthy individual up to two hours to get through the check points in the boarding line, a handicapped person going through that same line could take longer.

There are often more items that need to be checked because often a disabled individual will have metal objects like canes, braces and wheelchairs that set off the metal detectors. In addition, a large cache of medication may have to be checked and screened prior to boarding the plane. All of this can cause not only a loss of time but some amount of stress to both the disabled traveler and their partner.

Oxygen Tanks and Medication for the Disabled Air Traveler

It is also good to remember that the TSA agents at the airport in the United States have to make sure the flights are safe and so therefore scrutinize everything and anything. If the disabled person need items like specific liquids or oxygen in order to sustain themselves, then these items will cause more of a delay in the check through lines.

It is possible to avoid much of this by putting such items in checked baggage but many people do not trust doing that and should that luggage be lost the disabled person’s health could be at risk in some cases. The best advise here is to make sure that everything you will be carrying on works and that you know how to make it function so that if the airport employees need to see it operate you can do so to prove that it is a functioning item.

Handicap Facilities in the Airport

It is also a good idea when trekking through an airport to keep in mind where the nearest restroom is because the last thing anyone wants is to be rushing around on a wheelchair in search of a toilet. Knowing the location of more than one restroom is useful especially if you are faced with an occupied stall where the occupant is taking longer than usual.

Screen Readers and Magnifiers

This combination only works well with persons being “visually impaired” as compared to the “blind,” who have no need for a screen magnifier, let alone a computer screen. Also, added to the mix are the developers of operating systems whom have  begun to add rudimentary versions of accessibility programs to their operating systems.

Of the scores of screen reader/magnifier software programs available on the market today, only a few are balanced and dynamic enough to provide the blind with the means to navigate smoothly on a computer. For the visually impaired the field is larger as the requirements needing to be met are far less stringent. If any given software is dynamic enough for a blind person; it will more than meet the needs of the visually impaired.

The following are the predominant programs used by most blind services throughout the world.

Jaws by Freedom Scientific

Jaws is arguably the most robust, dynamic and versatile of the screen readers out there. It works well within most popular office programs along with most of the commonly used web browsers. It is, however, a Windows based program.

With up to six hundred basic commands and thousands of others, learning Jaws is a long and trying process. The end result is well worth the effort. Many blind users feel that Jaws can return a blind person to being a productive interactive member of society.

Zoom Text by AI Squared

Zoom Text is a screen magnifier/reader that is limited as a reader but dynamic as a magnifier. It is in its own right a fairly good reader, but lacks the depth and dynamics of ones like Jaws and Windows Eyes. With an easy to use interface and natural speak voice plug-in it is a fun and enjoyable software for the visually impaired.

Using Zoom Text requires the use of some sight, be it diminished or not. It functions well as a web reader and also with other text formats. The magnification feature is fully adjustable and very easy to navigate. Zoom Text can put the joy back into reading for those visually impaired that refuse to relegate themselves to “audio books”.

Web Anywhere by Washington.edu

Web Anywhere is a  free screen reader arena. It is a web based program that allows blind users to navigate the web from anywhere and on any computer. With only a few keyboard commands to learn one can be off and surfing very quickly. It is not a full featured screen reader, but it is a simple and effective tool for a blind person to use when their own computer is not available.

While only a few of the many programs available were mentioned above, there are many others. Also of note is the lack of Apple based software. While Snow Leopard OS has what is referenced as “accessibility” software called Voice over, it lacks the power of the Windowa based software to allow the blind to be truly functional on a computer.

While great strides have been made as far as software for the blind and visually impaired is concerned, even the most intelligent of software cannot overcome the lack of proper and uniform formatting and scripting of web content and software programs. Until there is adherence to set standards even the best of readers will at some time bog down and fail.

Process to Apply for Disability

The first step that needs to be undertaken is to apply for Social Security Disability, Medicare and/or Medicaid. This can be done via hard copy or on the online. The reason to start on this as soon as possible is that this in its self can take from two to three years.

The claimant will likely be called into a local Social Security Office after filing the initial paperwork. Here the SSA will verify what you have claimed and ensure that all the information needed to actually start the claims process is available.

It is not uncommon to be refused benefits on the first attempt. This can be quite disconcerting to an applicant but it is not a lost battle and there is no need to quit just yet. A person that is denied may file for an appeal. This will mean a hearing with a judge or judges advocate and the applicant will ave a chance to present their case.

It is of utmost importance to keep meticulous record of each and every document and step. Copies of all medical reports are necessary and this should not be the original or only copy that you have in your possession.

Lawyer/Attorney for Disability

Most people opt for hiring an attorney because the stress of dealing with the system is overwhelming and many applicants stop trying after a while. A legal representative will ensue that every step is undertaken in a timely manner because they will only get paid if the case is settled in your favor.

The legal representative is allowed by law to receive no more than 25 percent of the award. A judge may be able to lower that amount if they feel that the attorney was not efficient in handling the case on behalf of the applicant.

Disability Medical Assessment

The claimant will likely be asked to submit to various tests by a doctor chosen by the SSA and this has to be completed as required. Medical assessments can be quite trying in that the doctor will be very thorough in the evaluation in order to identify fraudulent applicants. If there is truly a disability, the applicant should not fail this assessment.

It is also advisable during a trip to the doctor to ask about getting a handicap sticker for the vehicle of the disabled person. The doctor often only has to fill out a form which is then taken by the individual to the tag office and wither a handicap placard or a handicap plate is issued. It is quick and easy and may actually bolster your chances at getting an award because this is further proof that a medical professional thinks that the injury is serious enough to warrant special treatment.

Keep in mind during this process that if the injury or ailment is not serious there is a strong chance that  the disability benefits will not be awarded.

There are different types of physical and development disability camps for children. There may be disability camps that accept all handicapped kids, while there are others that accept kids with specific needs. These handicap camps range from learning disability camps to cancer camps to physical disabilities.

Camps for kids with disabilities

• The June Rusche Hamrah Camps for All : This is a non-profit organization that works in co-ordination with various special needs groups to provide an accessible environment for disabled kids. It offers ample opportunity for activities, education and therapeutic needs of children of all ages.

• Very Special Camps : This is an online camp directory for locating special needs camps. They have a variety of camps to choose from depending on your special need and activities preferred.

• Children’s Association for Maximum Potential : is a weeklong camping session held every summer to benefit kids with special needs.

• Timbertop Camp : This non-profit camp is jointly sponsored by YMCA and the Association for Services for Learning Disabilities. It is designed for children who require extra care and attention due to their various types of learning disabilities.

• Lose the Training Wheels : is an organization dedicated to teaching children with disabilities how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle and become independent bike riders.

• Camp Lee Mar : helps children with learning and development difficulties to participate in regular camping activities and improve on their interpersonal and activity skills.

Special needs camps for kids with disabilities are abundant in variety and availability. There are disability camps that serve specific needs and wants of children with learning, behavioral and physical disabilities. While regular camps are well equipped for disabled kids as well, there are also specific camps to help a child adjust better around similar children.

A handicap camp is one of the best ways to allow a child to interact with other kids who are in a similar situation and thus allow them to develop their communication skills, as well as make friends. These tips and resources may serve as a starting guide to your perfect special needs summer camp search.

What to expect out of a handicap camp?

A child with special needs has the same basic needs when it comes to the growing up process. With an extra emphasis on addressing their unique disabilities, a handicap camp is designed to benefit kids by developing their interpersonal skills and also making sure they have a good time.

Even though each disability camp has its own way of conducting activities, there are some basic aspects that must be expected out of all of them. Special needs summer camps exist to make sure kids are involved in several activities and unique interests that develop their athletic and creative sides. Some of these handicap camps are designed to address specific disabilities so that children do not have to feel out of place.

Moreover, this encourages interaction with other kids, and helps them develop inner confidence. These disability camps also allow kids to have an opportunity to develop friendships, respect elders and also develop leadership skills. As they are away from their parents for extended periods of time, they also learn to become independent and self-reliant.

Different types of special needs summer camps

Deciding on the correct kind of disabled camp for your child is very important. It is essential that you include your child in this decision as they might have specific requests as well. The first step is to determine the duration of the camp. Camps range from daytime only, weekend, or even entire summers. Talking to your child and figuring out what would be best for them and their special needs would benefit all. After deciding on the duration, one must look into the different types of camps.

Inclusionary camps are the main kind of camps that have existed for years. However, in recent years, the ADA – The Americans with Disabilities Act – requires that all camps must make appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities. This may include adding wheelchair accessibility ramps, wider hallways and so on. In this way, regular camps can now accommodate special needs kids and make them feel welcome.

Sometimes, the disability of a child makes it impossible for them to attend a regular camp. The family might even prefer not to send them to a regular camp for the fear that the child may feel out of place there. Camps for kids with disabilities are very common these days.

Finding the correct kind of special needs camp is essential to the growth and confidence building process of the kid. Conducting a lot of research and asking other parents for recommendations would help in making the right decision for your child. Refer to the List of Camps for Kids with Disabilities.

Various mobility products are now in the market which can be used to increase mobility within the household. Such daily living aids allows individuals to travel between rooms, take showers without dangerous bathroom accidents, go up and down the stairs and many other simple tasks that everyone takes for granted. The market identifies the needs of the disabled and continuously comes out with mobility products that will greatly benefit the disabled.

Importance of mobility aids

Without a doubt, personal safety and independent living are the topmost reasons for the innovative mobility aids that we see today. Innovators are continuously looking to improve the lives of disabled people and provide them with devices that may work as daily living aids in order to make every day a little bit easier. Not only are these disability aids now being widely used, they are becoming an important part of thousands of individuals’ lives who are benefiting everyday from some form of household mobility aids.

These mobility products are designed for the handicapped, as well as the senior and elderly who have lost the control of one of more muscles in their body and have difficulty getting around. Some people have difficulty with the smallest of tasks which we take for granted, such as bending down to pick up a dropped towel, washing plates, walking up the stairs or even just turning a key. These mobility aids provide make such tasks easy again for disabled individuals and allow them to lead a normal life.

Useful aids for daily living

There are innumerable amounts of mobility aids that are now available in various stores and locations. These are specifically create to address certain common issues faced by disabled and mobility challenged individuals. Some of the most commonly used and sold items today are:

• Stair lift chair : This mobility aid device is created for individuals who have stairs within their house. This electric mechanized device allows the individual to be transferred up and down the stairs while being seated on a wheel chair.

• Bathroom chair : These chairs are specifically designed for bathrooms to assist in handicap mobility. They are water resistant and have non slip handles and wheels. It allows for easy transfer to and from the bathtubs. Custom designed swing doors are often required and preferred in order to allow such chairs to be accessible.

• Mobility scooters : are very convenient disability aids that allow individuals with weak walking abilities to move around over extended periods of time.

• Bed mobility aids : Several custom adjustments can be made to beds in order to make it more comfortable for a disabled individual. Adjustments may include adjustable back rests, side railings, leg raisers or attached bed tables.

• Grab rails : These mobility aids can be installed in virtually all parts of the house. Simple railings can make it much easier for the mobility challenged to move around all over the house.

• Key extenders and turners : A small key may be impossible to use for some people. A key extender may be attached to a regular key to extend the surface area of the key. A key turner may also be used to get a better grip on the key.

• Grips : Grips may be put over things like a door knob, on tables, or even on the floor. The non-slip feature of this disability aid allows a person to get a better grip on slippery objects and ensures safety around the house.

Accessibility within one’s home is the most important thing to all individuals. Increasing mobility through disability aids gives more freedom to a person and allows them to do daily tasks with little or no help from others. Simple daily living aids like the ones mentioned here and many more contribute to a much better and safer home environment for disabled people. Everyday there are new mobility aids that are being discovered which makes it a little bit easier to complete daily chores.

Respecting individual needs and appreciating personal experiences will help us all see beyond the disability and help create a stronger, more supportive and welcoming community.

Communicate Better With Disabled People

Following are some tips that you should keep in mind when communicating with disabled people.

• Treat people with a disability with the same respect and consideration you have for everyone else.
• Don’t assume what a person can or can’t do.
• Speak to people with a disability directly, not through their carer, assistant or interpreter.
• Ask before you help – don’t just jump in.
• Can’t understand what’s being said? Don’t pretend – ask again.
• Take some time – people with some kinds of disability may take a little longer to understand and respond.
• Some disabilities are invisible. Get to know people.
• Guide dogs are working dogs. Never pat or speak to a guide dog while it’s wearing a harness.

Other Useful Communication Tips

• When talking with a person with a disability, speak directly to that person rather than through a companion or sign language interpreter who may be present.
• When introduced to a person with a disability, it is appropriate to offer to shake hands. People with limited hand use or who wear an artificial limb can usually shake hands. (Shaking hands with the left hand is an acceptable greeting.)
• When meeting a person with a visual impairment, always identify yourself and others who may be with you. When conversing in a group, remember to identify the person to whom you are speaking.
• If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen to or ask for instructions.
• Treat adults as adults. Address people who have disabilities by their first names only when extending the same familiarity to all others. (Never patronize people who use wheelchairs by patting them on the head or shoulders.)
• Leaning or hanging on a person’s wheelchair is similar to leaning or hanging on a person and is generally considered annoying. The chair is part of the person’s body space.
• Listen attentively when you’re talking with a person who has difficulty speaking. Be patient and wait for the person to finish rather than correcting or speaking for the person. If necessary, ask short questions that require short answers, a nod or a shake of the head. Never pretend to understand if you are having difficulty doing so. Instead, repeat what you have understood and allow the person to respond. The response will clue in and guide your understanding.
• When speaking with a person in a wheelchair or a person who uses crutches, place yourself at eye level in front of the person to facilitate the conversation.
• To get the attention of a person who is hearing-impaired, tap the person on the shoulder or wave your hand. Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly, and expressively to establish if the person can read your lips. Not all people with a hearing impairment
  can lip-read. For those who do not lip-read, be sensitive to their needs by placing yourself facing the light source and keeping hands, cigarettes, and food away from your mouth when speaking.
• Relax. Don’t be embarrassed if you happen to use accepted, common expressions such as “See you later,” or “Did you hear about this,” that seem to relate to the person’s disability.