Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Home modifications



      Have you ever heard the saying “home sweet home?” Well if you have or have had a disability your home may not be so sweet. You want to be completely independent, safe and comfortable in your own living arrangement. I have ramps; grab bars and a walk-in shower. However, you can also get guard rails and other household modifications. Say your wheelchair or walker will not fit inside your door. There are places and people who will widen it for you!  Or say your room is upstairs, you can actually put in an elevator! My room was fortunately already downstairs, so I didn’t have to install an elevator, but they sure are awesome!
       There are many organizations and resources that you can use to help accommodate your home. Check out this site to find places in Georgia. http://www.homeadvisor.com/tloc/Atlanta-GA/Remodel-to-Accommodate-a-Disability/
       So I don’t know if you spend a lot of time in your home like I do, but it’s important it’s the best setup  for you! 


Wednesday, July 22, 2015

ICWP



 I do need extra help with many important and necessary tasks. Driving, cleaning up my room and stretching my affected arm are the most important tasks I need help with. For this reason, I use the Independent Care Waiver Program to get the help I need. To be able to utilize this program you have to be between the ages of 21-64, a Medicaid member and have a severe physical disability. Also, you have to be medically stable, but you may be threatened to be put in a hospital. You have to make sure you obtain the right provider and choose ones that are close to you. I have had not so great experiences in the past and have had to sort through various facilities.
        The ICWP also provides medical supplies, counseling, emergency response, respite, adult day health, home modifications and Alternate Living Services.
         In order to apply for the ICWP, I would suggest calling the Georgia Medical Care Foundation (GMCF) AT 1-800-982-0411 ext.3619. Or ask the hospital that you are using about it. Get  started today!


For more information about the ICWP and other government programs offered here in Georgia, visit the P2P Roadmap to Success at http://roadmap.p2pga.org/index.php/medicaid

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Dragon



If you have the loss of function of one arm, like myself, or perhaps both arms. Then you probably need help typing. You should try Dragon Naturally Speaking, which is a speech recognition software.  I used the Assistive Technology group at Shepherd Center to try and utilize Dragon. Now, for most people it takes about 10 times for the software to learn and recognize your voice. For me, I have a rather low and raspy voice, so it took me a bit longer. It eventually will learn your voice! So if you need help with typing at work or home because it is too slow or you can’t manage the process give Dragon a shot! It’s speech to text, which is perfect for any typing needs

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBcLqIrASP8


Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Help Hope Live



          I have been able to participate in physical therapy for years, but I was not able to do that without financial assistance. My therapy was RIDICULOUSLY expensive and insurances including Medicare and Medicaid did not cover it.  So I started searching through the web and I found a remarkable organization. It’s called Help Hope Live. It’s a non-profit and tax deductible agency that collects and stores the donations for a specified person. They also give the person a web-site in order to increase their funds. Does anyone use this program or another in order to raise funds?
Search for Help Hope Live and other providers that may assist you: