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Greetings!
With Christmas and Hanukkah coming up soon, our
gift ideas for people who use wheelchairs will come
in handy! Plus, just for fun, here's a look at the
famous
and near-famous wheelchair users from around the
country and
around the world! (See the whole llist by clicking
onthe link!) Finally, on a more serious note check
out the article about a book by Invacare's Mark
Sullivan, written
to try to stop cuts to complex rehab equipment, and
the study that links financial
problems to
disability...
(obvious to many.)
We at Monroe wish you a
wonderful
holliday and, as
always, if you have a
need or a question, we are
here for you!
| New Book, [Wheelchair Access] "Denied" Designed to Stop Cuts on Complex Rehab Equipment |
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The more Mark Sullivan read media reports that
characterized the HME industry as a bunch of crooks,
the angrier he got, reports HME News. Finally,
Sullivan, Invacare's vice president of rehab, couldn't
take it any more. The result is "Denied." The 34-page
book includes photos of real people using complex
rehab equipment; text that explains the market
challenges; and an introduction by Quickie wheelchair
co-founder and consumer advocate Marilyn Hamilton.
Sullivan, who took all of the photos but one, "doesn't
make a nickel off the book." His goal in
writing "Denied" is simple: To help stave off further
reimbursement cuts to complex rehab by showing
lawmakers and bureaucrats what it is all about. "I
hope every RTS or company buys one and gives it to
their state Medicaid office or their local congress
person or their senators. Hopefully, the MAC medical
directors will get a copy. That is all we are really
looking for-that people buy one and give it away."
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| Great Gift Ideas for "Wheelies" (Supplied by "Wheelies"!) |
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With the gift giving season before us, we thought you'd
like some suggestions of gifts to ask for or to give to
those special folks in your life who are wheelchair
users! Our sources said that before rushing to a
wheelchair specialty store, givers should consider
classic gifts such as flowers,
goody baskets, body care products, books, videos,
magazine subscriptions, games, and computer
software.
We at Monroe particularly liked
the idea of compact binoculars--light weight and easy
for those who can handle them, since bird watching
can calm the nerves. You
might want to add a bird feeder and bird feed along
with your gift package. Add a throw away camera to
capture those birds at the bird feeder.
Of course the classic wheelchair gift is a lap robe or
shawl. Make sure this gift reflects your appreciation of
the
personality of the user. Another great idea is a walkie
talkie...when the caregiver is out of shouting range!
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| Did You Know? Famous Wheelchair Users From History and the World |
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Sure, you knew that actor Christopher Reeve's injury
lead to his use of a wheelchair, and the fact that
President Franklin Roosevelt
depended on a wheelchair cannot be a surprise. But
did you know other wheelchair users include Johnny
Cash? What about Winston Churchill, actors
Laurence Olivier and Lionel Barrymore, and Vladimir
Lenin, first premier of the Soviet Union? There's
singer Teddy Pendergrass, violinist Izhak Perlman
and the man who is said to be the smartest living
person, Stephen Hawking, wheelchair users, all.
Don't forget Sesame Park's 'Katie', pictured left and
mentioned with a long list of fictional characters who
we know and love! Just for fun, click on the link below
for a complete list from Wikipedia.
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| For All Your Mobility Needs, Call Monroe Wheelchair! |
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You can depend on all of us at Monroe Wheelchair for
the latest
technology in medical equipment and the highest
quality healthcare.
Our staff has a combined 300 years of experience in
the medical equipment industry and Monroe's on-site
owner, Doug Westerdahl, continually monitors and
works together with his staff to improve customer
service.
Call us at 1-888-546-8595
today!
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Poverty and Disability Greatly Correlated, New Study Shows |
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Hard economic times are even harder when you have
a disability. But poverty and disability don't have to be
synonymous if we design our policies well.
A new report from the Center for Economic and Policy
Research (a Washington-based think tank) titled "Half
in Ten" states that almost 50 percent of working-age
adults who experience poverty for at least a 12-month
period have one or more disabilities.
People with disabilities, the report says, account for a
larger share of those experiencing poverty than people
in all other minority, ethnic and racial groups
combined and are even a larger group than single
parents.
The extra costs associated with living with a disability
such as purchasing expensive equipment like
wheelchairs and catheters or obtaining specialized
medical attention keep many disabled people and
their families in poverty, the report notes.
The report also astutely observes that direct care
workers who assist people with disabilities in their
homes and communities are often themselves in
poverty. The median income for the 3 million direct
care workers in the United States is only $17,000 a
year, the report says.
The report stresses "the fundamental importance of
health care reform, especially the provision of
universal coverage, to anti-poverty efforts." The lack of
good health insurance, the report says, "is one of the
most significant drivers of income poverty and severe
disadvantage." Another important step is for the
United States to adopt "the kinds of paid-sick-day and
paid-sick-leave policies that are already in place in all
other similarly wealthy nations."
At least 40 percent of private sector workers in the
United States have no paid sick days or leave, the
report says.
Third, we should ease the ridiculously harsh
restrictions on assets and earnings imposed on
those receiving Social Security Disability Income. The
current Social Security policy basically requires you to
impoverish yourself before you can get disability aid
from the government.
And, fourth, we should pay a decent wage to the health
care providers who do such a superb job in tending to
the needs of the disabled.
It's clear that the current economic hardship is
being made much worse for many people than it
needs to be due to the disregard politicians and
policymakers have for the well-being of Americans
with disabilities and those who work in providing them
with assistance.
It's time for that to change.
Read More!
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