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Women with disabilities have many
of the same health concerns and needs as all women―such
as needing routine Pap screens or treatment for the flu or an infection.
They also might have special health concerns related to their disabilities
or illnesses.
Yet people with disabilities often face barriers to receiving good overall
health care. Part of the problem is that some doctors have had limited
experience treating patients with disabilities, both during their medical
training and in their practice. As a result, a doctor might focus on the
patient's disability rather than on the health problem that brought the
patient to the doctor in the first place. The doctor also might not know to
check for health conditions that are more common among people with
disabilities, such as depression or pressure sores.
Another issue is physical barriers at health care facilities. Although the
Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all public buildings,
including health care facilities, be accessible to people with disabilities,
problems still remain. For instance, many doctors do not have exam tables
that can be lowered for easy access by patients in wheelchairs. As a result,
the doctor may do a pelvic exam on a woman while she is seated in her
wheelchair. This set-up does not allow for a thorough exam. A health
problem, such as a vaginal infection, is easy to overlook.
More and more, doctors and others who provide health care are becoming aware
of the barriers faced by people with disabilities and are working to address
them. But if you have a disability, you need to look out for yourself to
ensure that you get the best possible health care. This is important for all
people, but even more so for people with disabilities.
Tips for Getting the
Best Possible Healthcare
If you are disabled, there are
many things you can do to make sure you are getting the best possible health
care:
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Find out who the best doctors
are in your area to meet your needs. When shopping around, call the
doctor's offices to find out if the doctor has experience treating
patients with similar issues.
Check to be sure that you can physically get into your doctor's office.
For instance, are there ramps for people who use wheelchairs?
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Check to be sure that the
doctor has the staff and equipment you need.
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Know your body―how
you feel when you're well and when you're not. This will help you to know
when to see your doctor and also to describe any problems or concerns that
you have.
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Think through your concerns
before you visit your doctor. Make a list of topics you want to bring up.
Bring your health records with you.
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Talk openly with your doctor
about your concerns.
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Tell your doctor about all the
medicines you use, both prescription medicines and medicines that you can
buy without a prescription. Don't forget to mention any vitamins or herbal
supplements you take.
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Bring a family member or friend
with you, if you're concerned you might not remember all your questions
and all the answers.
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Get it in writing. Write down,
or have someone write down for you, what the doctor says.
-
Ask for help finding more
information. Ask about books, brochures, or reliable web sites on the
Internet.
If you feel that your doctor is not giving you the care that you need,
find another doctor.
Organizations
Rehabilitation
Recovery from a serious injury or
illness can take a lot of time. If you have been hurt or sick, you may need
to regain your strength, relearn skills, or find new ways of doing things
you did before. This process is called rehabilitation. There are many types
of therapies used in rehabilitation. These therapies can also be useful for
people who are born with certain disabilities.
To start a rehabilitation program, your doctor will refer you to a
rehabilitation center or to a specific type of therapist. Here are some
types of therapies used in rehabilitation programs:
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy aims to improve:
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joint movements
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muscle strength
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coordination
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balance
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walking
A physical therapist may give you
certain physical activities to do to improve your ability to move or to
strengthen your muscles. For instance, the parallel bars can help if you are
having problems keeping your balance or walking. You hold onto the bars as
you relearn how to stand up straight or to walk. The physical therapist may
also give you certain activities to do to help improve your overall physical
fitness. Being physically fit is important for preventing diseases such as
heart disease and osteoporosis (thin or weak bones).
Occupational Therapy
An occupational therapist helps people do activities of daily living that
are made difficult by a disorder or injury. These could be activities at
home, on the job, or at school. They include activities such as dressing,
feeding yourself, bathing, writing, using a computer mouse, paying
attention, and remembering things. Occupational therapists also can help
some children with autism learn how to interact with others.
First, an occupational therapist will evaluate how well you do something
that you're having a problem with. Then he or she may suggest a different
way of doing it. For instance, an occupational therapist may help a person
with a paralyzed arm learn new ways to dress and fasten buttons. An
occupational therapist also might recommend helpful devices. For instance,
for a person with impaired hearing, the therapist might recommend a
telephone that has a flashing light instead of a ring.
Speech-Language Therapy
The therapist who helps people with speech and language disorders is called
a speech-language pathologist. A speech-language pathologist might:
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help you learn how to say
speech sounds correctly
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help you overcome a stuttering
problem
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help you improve the quality of
your voice
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relearn how to use spoken and
written language if you've lost this ability because of a stroke or other
type of brain injury
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help children with language
disorders with skills such as grammar, vocabulary, conversation, and
story-telling
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recommend an alternative
communication device for someone who cannot speak. One example is a speech
generating device that "speaks" words that you type on a keyboard.
Vocational Therapy
Vocational therapists help people with disabilities get jobs. They can help
people with disabilities identify job strengths and develop résumés that
highlight those strengths. They also can help in job searches and educate
people with disabilities about their legal rights regarding employment.
Recreational Therapy
Recreational therapists help people with disabilities use their free time to
enhance their health, independence, and quality of life. For instance,
children who are mildly impaired by cerebral palsy are sometimes taught to
ride horses. Besides helping them learn to move better, the therapy often
improves their mood and boosts self-esteem.
Psychological Services
As part of your rehabilitation, you may see a psychotherapist, such as a
counselor, clinical psychologist, or psychiatrist. A psychotherapist can
help people with disabilities cope with depression and other emotional
problems.
Choosing a Rehabilitation
Program
A rehabilitation program can be
in a:
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hospital dedicated to just
rehabilitation
-
a rehabilitation unit in a
regular hospital
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outpatient clinic that is
either part of a hospital or a separate business
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nursing home
Depending on your needs, you may
also be able to get rehabilitation services at home.
When choosing a rehabilitation program, it is a good idea to try to find out
about the quality of the program that you are considering. One way to do
this is to check to see if the program is accredited. Accreditation is like
a "seal of approval" given to hospitals and other health care facilities.
Accredited programs meet high standards of excellence in service and
quality. Two accrediting groups that look at how well rehabilitation
programs perform are:
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Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). To see if a
rehabilitation program is accredited by JCAHO or to find an accredited
program in your area, go to the
JCAHO web site and click on the link "The Joint Commission Quality
Check."
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Commission on Accreditation of
Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). To find CARF-accredited rehabilitation
programs for your condition in a particular state, visit the
CARF web site and click on the link "Search for a Provider."
Another way to judge the quality
of a rehabilitation program is to contact the program and ask questions,
including:
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Does the program provide
rehabilitation services for a wide range of conditions (such as brain
injury, multiple sclerosis, and hip replacement)? Or does it offer expert
care for only one condition (such as spinal cord injury)? You may want to
choose a program that specializes in the care that you need. If one is not
available in your area, you might want to consider going to another area
or state for rehabilitation.
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Does the program ask patients
to fill out a satisfaction survey and to rate their care? If so, what are
the results?
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What percentage of patients are
able to return to their own homes after rehabilitation rather than to
nursing homes? People who are able to return home are functioning well
enough on their own to not need assistance with daily living.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are studies aimed
at finding ways to prevent or treat illness or disability.
If you have an illness or disability, you can help yourself and others by
taking part in clinical trials. Find out more about clinical trials at
clinicaltrials.gov.
Related Information:
Learn about clinical trials and how to use ClinicalTrials.gov.
Did you know...?
When you search our web site on a disease or condition, we also give you
links to Clinical Trials (from
clinicaltrials.gov) if any match your search term. |
