Perspective Exercise 3
It is the person with a disability more important than the family?
Perspectives
The occurrence of a severe disability often focuses all of the family’s emotional resources on the person who has sustained the injury. Often this focusing is essential to contain the fallout from the injury and to stabilize the total family system. However, in order for families to realign their goals and to establish a different balance in their lives, they must make a transition. This transition should consider the individual needs of family members, and the total needs of the family and the emerging, changing needs of the family and family member living with the opportunities, and problems, associated with an illness or disability.
Exploration
1. In coping with the demands of disability in the family, how should the emotional resources be allocated? Financial Resources? …show more content…
Financial responsibilities may include obtaining health, education, and social services; medications, supplies, equipment and devices; alterations to the home to accommodate the individual with the disability; and having to provide special transportation. The family can seek reimbursement from insurance companies if applicable, and find publicly funded programs that provide assistance such as Medicaid/ Medicare and Social Security Disability income. Families can acquire a case manager to coordinate the team of different health care providers and advocate applications for financial assistance and provide guidance for finding additional resources. A case manager can also direct the family to participate in counseling services that teach coping skills for the individual with the disability as well as families members experiencing emotional turmoil, anxiety and stress.
2. Is it ever possible to regain balance in the family following an illness or disability? If so
It is the person with a disability more important than the family?
Perspectives
The occurrence of a severe disability often focuses all of the family’s emotional resources on the person who has sustained the injury. Often this focusing is essential to contain the fallout from the injury and to stabilize the total family system. However, in order for families to realign their goals and to establish a different balance in their lives, they must make a transition. This transition should consider the individual needs of family members, and the total needs of the family and the emerging, changing needs of the family and family member living with the opportunities, and problems, associated with an illness or disability.
Exploration
1. In coping with the demands of disability in the family, how should the emotional resources be allocated? Financial Resources? …show more content…
Financial responsibilities may include obtaining health, education, and social services; medications, supplies, equipment and devices; alterations to the home to accommodate the individual with the disability; and having to provide special transportation. The family can seek reimbursement from insurance companies if applicable, and find publicly funded programs that provide assistance such as Medicaid/ Medicare and Social Security Disability income. Families can acquire a case manager to coordinate the team of different health care providers and advocate applications for financial assistance and provide guidance for finding additional resources. A case manager can also direct the family to participate in counseling services that teach coping skills for the individual with the disability as well as families members experiencing emotional turmoil, anxiety and stress.
2. Is it ever possible to regain balance in the family following an illness or disability? If so