Healthcare Stew

First welcome to the Living With Disabilities, Advocacy website and it's run by no other, Katrina Smith, who's a person with a Learning disability. Her mission behind Living With Disabilities is to bring awareness to all people with disabilities.

Today Living With Disabilities wants to talk about Healthcare. 

People with disabilities face many obstacles when it comes to dealing with healthcare providers and healthcare insurance. People with disabilities face many obstacles to receiving good health care and are more likely than people who are able-bodied. Why do people with disabilities have to fight for better healthcare? It leaves the host, Katrina Smith, speechless. But, Living With Disabilities will get to the bottom of this for sure. 

Living With Disabilities knows that many people who are disabled have to fight hard for better health care due to prejudice in the healthcare system. And this falls in the line of ableism. Like if people with medical needs could not get enough. So, how can these obstacles be broken down so that people with disabilities can get better healthcare?

1. Healthcare providers and healthcare insurance need to adjust their attitudes. People with disabilities deal with much more issues as an abled-body person, they are just looked down on. As ableism is brought up again, being stereotypical thinking poorly of the patient.

  

 2. Stigma, prejudice, and discrimination. And here we go as a person with a disability facing ableism yet again. The attitude from our healthcare providers and healthcare insurance. So, How can healthcare providers and healthcare insurance-wise up on their attitude? It starts with turning the dial down on their attitude. Let go of prejudice and discrimination. You may not know it when you're dealing with a patient. But, it's there, and your patient can easily pick up on it. Treat your patient like their family. 

 We discussed Attitude, let's talk communication. 

 

 There is a barrier that needs to be overcome when it comes to talking. What are these barriers and how can you as a Healthcare provider be more open? 

 

1. Be open to understanding your patient who has speech impediments. Don't be so quick to rush through things. And that's where a communication barrier is drawn. What needs to be done? Healthcare providers and healthcare insurance providers need to understand that a person with a disability may have a speech impediment. Therefore, it may take time for the person to get what needs to be said out.

 How can you as a healthcare provider be more open to understanding a person in this situation? Write information down using small or large print. What is the proper format for people who have low vision? Space Mono, Courier New, or Lucinda Console.

2. Make reading accessible by providing screen readers, machines with braille, and video with closed captions.

3. Some patients have a different way of speaking and this is where another barrier and easily be misunderstood, however, you can make it accessible, provide interpreters. 

Not all disabilities are hidden, and what living with disabilities means is that there are people with physical disabilities who need access as much as a person with a hidden disability. Let's jump straight into how you, as a healthcare provider, can make your facility accessible to them. 

Physical barriers

If your place has no ramp, and your sidewalk is narrow? a person with a physical disability can not enter. Your place shows a not welcome vibe. So, let's fix that, shall we? 

1. Widen the sidewalk.
2. Provide ramps.

3. accessible push button.

Inside accessibly 

1. Equipment that provides accessibility. on the other hand, weight scales that accommodated wheelchairs or others who have difficulty with walking.

2. Make the mammogram equipment more accessible.

Policy Barriers

When it comes to having a policy, there are many barriers to overcome. Before addressing how to fix the barriers, let's talk about what's wrong here. Denying, Denying, and Denying on all levels. And here they are. Accessibility 

 When you shut the door on giving opportunities, Especially in healthcare facilities, people with disabilities are feeling rejected. Therefore, let's get into how to fix the problem. 

1. Inclusion breaks down all the barriers.

 Living With Disabilities has been discussed. However, we can show you how to reopen your facilities to include people with disabilities again.

1. Remove all the barriers. Like, Communication, Physical and attitudinal barriers, hinder a person from being able to participate in the community.

2. When you remove these barriers you give people with disabilities the opportunity to, get better treatment, and they're able to communicate and able to feel welcome because you have opened the door for people with physical disabilities.

 Lastly on the accessibility train, Transportation.

When it comes to getting to doctor's appointments, finding transportation can become a splitting headache. Not all people have access to public transportation. This is where a healthcare facility or healthcare insurance can provide transportation to your patient.

 

"When you are not feeling well, the best way to heal yourself is by eating soups and stews. This is where the host came up with the title for this post. We, as people in the disabled community, need to provide healthcare with a prescription. So, they can begin to heal themselves." 


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