What if you are not prepared to make the right call? What if you do not know the names of the
medications you take or your medical history?
What if you depend on someone else to make nearly all of your medical
decisions? Adults with developmental
disabilities are often confronted with this reality. Self-determination,
choice, and advocacy are major themes in the services and supports provided to
adults with developmental disabilities.
Individuals are provided training and assistance making decisions on which
programs to attend, where to live, how to vote, and many other life
decisions. Unfortunately, there is not
as much focus on health and wellness and taking control of health care
decisions. Most individuals living
with a developmental disability rely on family members, guardians, or paid
professional staff for support in making major life decisions.
As a vocational and transitional employment service provider
for adults living with developmental disabilities, Easter Seals TriState is in
a unique position to help individuals learn how to be more involved in their
health care decisions. The individuals
we serve spend more time with us than they do with most other people in their
lives. Easter Seals TriState’s Addressing
Health Disparities project, made possible by a generous grant from Bethesda Inc.,
aims to use this time to assist individuals with overcoming barriers to
becoming more engaged in their health care.
The materials provided by the MakeTheRightCall campaign gives us
wonderful resources to provide education to people whose unique needs are often
overlooked in the medical community. For
example, in addition to carrying identification, adults with disabilities
should also have their doctor’s name and phone number listed and their caregiver
should ask about physician after-hours procedures to be prepared in advance in
case they need to contact the doctor.
Adults with developmental disabilities also face numerous
challenges when seeking to obtain health care.
These challenges include attitudinal, physical, and communication
barriers in addition to having low health literacy skills and a fear of
examinations. Obviously, these
challenges make it difficult to establish a relationship with a primary care
physician. If you know or take care of
an adult with a developmental disability, check out the “MaketheRightCall” campaign, including videos like this
one to educate everyone on
the importance of getting quality care in the appropriate location. I also encourage you to contact Easter Seals
at www.eastersealstristate.org to learn more about local programs and
resources to support individuals with disabilities in our community.
Jonathon Sherwood, M.Ed.
Project Director
Easter Seals TriState
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