Concepts of Disability - Interaction between Health Conditions, Environmental and Personal Factors in the Lives of People Experiencing Disability - Essay Example

Concepts of disability: interaction between health conditions, environmental and personal factors in the lives of people experiencing disability Community Support Arthritis means the inflammation of joints, which is exemplified by swelling, pain, redness and warmth in the joints. The chronic type of arthritis is called rheumatoid arthritis which affects the joints of both the sides of a patient’s body, i.e. it affects the hands, knees or wrists of the person. Often times, rheumatoid arthritis affects other organs and body parts such as lungs, heart, skin, blood, or eyes. The disease is extremely painful and causes swelling and stiffness of joints, especially during the morning time or right after sitting in one posture for a long time. The development of the disease depends from person to person, with some developing the symptoms instantly and some taking several years to progress. In my case, the disease developed over a period of time and gradually made me disabled. As it is not exactly know what causes rheumatoid arthritis, with some believing that it is caused due to genetic or hormonal disorders, and others think that it is a disease that triggers the immune system to damage the joints. In my case, the immune system triggered the disease, with the immune cells from the blood getting into the joints and tissues called synovium, where the cells generated inflammatory substances. These cells caused irritation, damage to the cartilage and swelling on my joints. As the disease damaged my cartilages causing reduction of spaces between the bones, my pain worsened as the bones started rubbing against each other (Lenehan). In the beginning, I started feeling pain in both my knee joints, especially right after getting up from sitting for a long time. Later, the pain worsened as I tried to climb up stairs or walk a little long distance. I often use to loose my balance while walking, and sometimes used to fall down as well. This restricted my movement and I seldom walked outside my house. Now, the condition has further worsened and I could only walk for merely a few minutes and that too with the support of other people. Rheumatoid arthritis does not have any cure as yet, and as the pain inflicting by the disease is often unbearable, it can also affect the life of a patient. Therefore, it is essential for people suffering from the disease to get a solid support system to help them get over the emotional and physical stress (Dowrick 2006, p. 61). Sometimes, even I feel scared, angry and frustrated with my disability, which has been affecting my life miserably, and therefore, rely on my support system. I draw my support from various government organisations, non-governmental support bodies, domiciliary nursing homes, community nursing homes, day respite services and local support groups working in Queensland area. Most of the volunteers of these support groups are always available on the phone and promptly provide me with their assistance. Furthermore, these organisations also have their websites which provide essential tips on self-help and how to manage disability arising from rheumatoid arthritis at home. Some of the support group that readily comes to my rescue are Arthritis Queensland, Blue Care and Cunnamulla Primary Health Care Centre, organisations that help disabled people, especially patients living with the condition of rheumatoid arthritis. These organisations especially Cunnamulla-based ones, such as Blue Care and Cunnamulla Primary Health Care Centre provide round-the-clock nursing care as well as helping the people with disability with their daily activities. They have fully trained caregivers who are experts in the field of providing assistance to patients in areas of administrating medication, nursing, feeding, or toileting. Cunnamulla Blue Care provides assistance such as food services including meals, home assist secure, home maintenance, medication management, personal care, physiotherapy, wound management etc. These services help people like me with rheumatoid arthritis to carry out their daily activities. Additionally, I also depend on Queensland Health to provide me with home care services such as domestic assistance through the Cunnamulla Primary Health Care Centre. Challenges The concept of disability I conducted a small survey among my immediate family members and asked them about their view on disability and how would they describe the term. This helped me in understanding how people comprehend the concept of disability and also compared a definition with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health definition to find out the similarities between the two definitions. The definition of disability varies from person to person, with some looking at the severity of the illness, while other thinking of the treatment and rehabilitation issues. Many also view it from emotional angle and face challenges such as coping with loss, trauma and disability (Power 2004, p.7). One of my relative told me that for her disability means a person with physical or mental incapacity, who has been examined medically about his/her condition and has been diagnosed with the inability to undertake major duties or even normal tasks such as walking without the help of another person. In order to understand if this above definition of disability is adequate, we need to compare it with the definition provided by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, which is also known as ICF. This definition by ICF classifies health components that define the functioning of the body and its disabilities. The World Health Organization on 22 May 2001 approved this classification, which was created in the year 1980 under the name of the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps. The definition encompasses the broad areas such as the body function and structure, physical and mental activities and participating in the day-to-day activities, and provides information on environmental factors affecting on the health of a person (ICF checklist version 2007). As per the definition, disability and functioning of one’s body is stated to have a correlation with the personal and environmental factors in which the person is living in. Therefore, the study of a person’s environment is integral in understanding his or her disability. Furthermore, the study also helps in assessing the level of disability the person is suffering with. The definition is applicable for all people, irrespective of their conditions health-wise. The ICF stresses on the function or environment of a person rather on the disease. Furthermore, it also integrates people from all age groups, gender and culture, making the definition applicable to all the people in this world (Smart 2007, p. 194). Thus, on comparing the ICF definition with the one that was provided by my relative, I found that the knowledge of laymen about disability is limited to a person’s physical or mental condition and does not include the context in which the disability had occurred. The ICF stresses on personal and societal perspectives, and does not just define disability as a physical or medical disease. However, the definition provided by my relative stressed on the physical and mental incapacity of the person and as well as the patient’s inability to undertake day-to-day activities. This definition totally focused on the physical and mental aspect of the patient, ignoring the environment or society in which the patient is living in, and how that might affect the condition of the patient. Thus, it can be clearly stated that for a laymen disability means the physical and mental incapacity of a person, whereas the ICF stresses on the causes of these inability, the societal and environmental factors that affect the health of a person in general and not just in terms of disability (Schneidert 2003, p. 588). Disability and social restrictions Due to my disability to move around or walk without help, I face many social restrictions such as inability to visit my friends and family frequently, to join in community functions, to participate in various voluntary work, or even to find a suitable job to occupy myself for the entire day. However, first and foremost, I miss visiting my friends and family. As I require constant assistance to walk around, and every step for me is a painful one, I have restricted my mobility to the inside of my house. Previously, I was a socially active person, who attended all the functions and ceremonies in the family, but due to my disability, these days, I am not able to attend any of these functions, which I miss so much. This has made my social life quite barren and I often feel frustrated and sad leading a lonely life. On this regard, experts suggest that the person with disability shows a greater dependence on his or her caregivers and at the same time seek for physical independence. This conflicting attitude or behaviour makes it difficult to handle people with disabilities, which leave the caregivers, the patient and the family frustrated (Gignac 1998, p. 742). Furthermore, I could also not visit my friends in the neighbourhood or acquaintances whom I have known all my life, some of whom I have not seen for months. The disease has greatly reduced my social circle, which now encompasses of caregivers, doctors and helpers. Additionally, I am also unable to undertake even basic household work such as doing the laundry or watering the plants in the garden, due to the design of my house. I live in a house with has 10 steps in the front entrance and more internal steps that leads to the bottom of the house where the laundry is situated. As climbing up and down the steps is virtually impossible for me, I am unable to even undertake simple activities such as doing laundry or watering the garden. Therefore, I need to be dependent on nurses and volunteers for my health care needs, which have also restricted my social circle. Thus, experts like Kearney and Pryor (2004) suggested framework for nurses to increase their awareness about social and cultural aspects related to disability and provide the people with disability with emotional support as well. The families living with the disabled people should also be sensatised about their needs. They can make several adjustments like celebrating birthdays at home or special occasions to liven up the disabled person. Therefore, families can play an important part in providing emotional support to the disabled person (Power 2004, p.1) Community or environmental challenges It is quite difficult for me to venture outside my house due to my disability. There are many challenges that I face due to various community and environmental reasons. Some of the problems that I often face while going out of my house is to commute from one place to another. I am dependent on people to be driven around the place and require wheelchair whenever I had to go outside. The foremost problem is finding drivers or people who can handle disabled people, as it requires patience and training to carefully lift and put people with disability in a wheelchair or a car. Thus, I am mostly dependent on my family members to drive me in case I need to go anywhere. Furthermore, I have often seen people being insensitive with a disabled person, especially youngsters who lack the patience to allow a disabled person to go first or help them with their task. Also, most use abusive language or words that can hurt the sensibility of a disabled person. Many give second-rate treatment to people with disability as they consider them burden and a do not want to waste their time in helping them. Such people need to be taught how to behave and adapt disabled people (Queensland Government 2005). Additionally, many places in my locality lacks disabled friendly environment. Most of the places that I often visit do not have proper ramps through which I can use my wheelchair easily or spacious elevators to fit my wheelchair. The counters at most places are also too high, and only a person standing up can make payments. For instance, I face this problem the most when I visit my bank in the town for withdrawing my monthly allowance. The teller at the bank has a high-set counter and it is difficult for me to reach up to him, and I often had to rely on strangers or my family members to complete the transition on my behalf. It takes a long time and even disturbs the people in the queue. Experts suggest that nursing interventions such as identifying the needs of rehabilitation care helps in early recovery of patients from acute illness or from injuries which has made them disabled. In the early stages, most of this rehabilitation care can be taken up by health professionals like speech therapists, nurses, physicians, physiotherapists etc. Furthermore, this rehabilitation process needs to be continued for a time being and should involve not just the health professionals but also the family members of the person with disability (Boldt 2005, p. 432). Therefore, from my own experience, I suggest that the community should come up with various changes in their environment to make the place more disabled friendly and treat them equally as a normal person, hence allowing them to conduct their day-to-day activities without any problems. For instance, in my community, people should organise workshops and seminars to sensitise people about the needs of disabled people. They should organise help campaigns and assign people especially youngsters to help a disabled person for a day to understand their needs and treat them respectfully. Furthermore, institutions such as banks and shopping malls and arcades should also create disabled friendly zones, where a person with disability can easily access the facilities of the area. This might include making low-level counters in the banks or shopping malls which would allow the person with disability to conduct his activities on his own, without relying on others. Additionally, the management of these places should also look into the maintenance of the wheelchair ramp and lifts on a regular basis and attend to any repair immediately. The life of a person living with disability might be a tough one, but with added support and little sensitivity from the society, it might become easier for the person to carry his or her daily activities. Sources Boldt, C, Brach, M, Grill, E, Berthou, A, Meister, K, Scheuringer, M & Stucki, G 2005, 'The ICF categories identified in nursing interventions administered to neurological patients with post-acute rehabilitation needs', Disability and Rehabilitation, vol. 27, no. 7/8, pp. 431–36. Dowrick, C 2006, 'The chronic disease strategy for Australia', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 185, no. 2, pp. 61–2, viewed 27 November 2008, . Gignac, MA & Cott, C 1998, 'A conceptual model of independence and dependence for adults with chronic physical illness and disability', Social Science Medicine, vol. 47, no.6, pp. 739–53. ICF checklist version 2.1a, clinician form for International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, viewed 27 November 2008, . Kearney, PM & Pryor, J 2004, 'The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and nursing', Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 162–70. Lenehan, AE Life to live: the history of people with disability in Australia – 100 years, viewed 27 November 2008, . Power, PW & Dell Orto, AE (eds) 2004, Families living with chronic illness and disability: interventions, challenges & opportunities, Springer Publishing, New York. Queensland Government 2005, A way with words, Disability Services, Queensland, viewed 27 November 2008, . Schneidert, M, Hurst, R, Miller, J & Ustun, B 2003, 'The role of environment in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)', Disability and Rehabilitation, vol. 25, no. 11–12, pp. 588–95. Smart, J 2005, 'Is the ICF achieving what it was reported to do? The promise of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)', Rehabilitation Education, vol. 19, no. 2 & 3, pp. 191–9. Read More