People with disabilities ndis provider Melbourne require access to medical care just as much as those without disabilities do, yet research is raising more awareness that people with disabilities typically face barriers when trying to utilize health-care services.
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires medical facilities that fall under its purview, including hospitals and doctors’ offices, to make reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access. Such accommodations might include providing sign language interpreters at appointments or providing discharge instructions in large print.
Preventive Care
Preventive care aims to minimize an individual’s risk of disease or medical condition by offering regular check-ups, vaccinations and screening for cancers or other health concerns.
Disabled people need access to preventive health services as much as anyone else; however, they often encounter barriers when trying to gain access to them; this includes transportation issues or lack of accessibility at healthcare facilities or having difficulty communicating.
Health programs must tailor their approaches to meet the unique needs of disabled individuals, so as to meet them with dignity. Some disabilities can be avoided entirely through primary prevention measures (like vaccinations and screenings for breast, cervical and prostate cancer) while other diseases are curable by early diagnosis and treatment (like antibiotics to treat trachoma or proper handling of fractured bones). Such measures are known as secondary prevention.
Treatment of Diseases
Health and wellbeing of Americans with disabilities has attracted increasing scrutiny, with research uncovering specific problems experienced by people with disabilities when accessing programs for promotion, disease prevention and regular medical care services. They may not possess both financial means and adequate coverage of specialty care, prescription medications and durable medical equipment under existing private and public coverage schemes.
Communication difficulties between health care providers and people with disabilities can significantly hinder their quality of care. A qualitative study discovered that many gynecologists misassume that women in wheelchairs do not participate in sexual activity and thus do not require contraception or screening for STDs. Such communication barriers further compound health disparities by delaying detection of new health conditions or chronic illnesses that would have otherwise been treated early.
Treatment of Injuries
People living with disabilities are at a greater risk for secondary health conditions that reduce their quality of life, due to factors like limited access to accessible health care facilities and equipment, lack of knowledge among medical professionals regarding specific differences that exist among people living with disabilities, transportation difficulties and higher poverty rates than the general population.
If you’ve experienced a spinal cord injury, your healthcare team will provide medicines to manage pain and spasticity as well as assistance learning to use devices and strategies that increase independence. They may also work to prevent complications like pressure ulcers, bladder and bowel issues, infections or skeletal contractures from happening.
NCD research has identified key gaps and barriers to health care provision that impact people with disabilities, including:
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation (rehab) is an integral component of medical care for disabled individuals. The goal of rehab is to restore abilities that have been lost and allow a person to lead independent lives again.
Health professionals specializing in rehabilitation can work closely with a person and their caretakers to develop an individual rehabilitation plan with goals. This plan takes into account a person’s needs, preferences, values and the impact that disability, illness or injury has had on quality of life.
Persons suffering from long-term conditions like cancer, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may require ongoing rehabilitation services to manage their symptoms and keep them from worsening. Treatment may include physical therapy, occupational therapy and other specialized approaches designed to maintain independence for the individual in need of help – the rehabilitation process can be long and doesn’t always lead to complete recovery – for instance someone suffering a spinal cord injury might not always be able to walk again.