People with disability require the health services pertinent to the problems they face regarding accessibility as well as health care services. From the perspective of healthcare services, the ideal situation is that everyone has an equal chance of access to the services. Nonetheless, people with disability e4ncounter various problems through which they struggle in their quest for healthcare. Several categories define people living with disabilities or individuals who have persevered traumatic experiences. Cognizant of this information, healthcare needs significantly differ depending on the category of disability. Healthcare accessibility to the people with disability is affected by several factors, some pertinent to the healthcare system, policy system and the services available. Therein there is need to investigate these health services pertinent to these conditions as well as the availability and accessibility of the services. This paper will be categorical in the investigation of the availability of services of health to the disabled as well as the factors affecting that accessibility.
Disability and health
Disabilities are defined and categorized by the international classification of functioning, disability, and health. The definition is categorical in the information encompasses disability as a form of impairment, that limits the capability of an individual to participate ‘normal’ activities while due to the restriction based on their health and body physiology. Form the definition; disability construct takes the perspective through which the definition takes a relationship perspective between the person’s health condition; for instance, cerebral palsy or Down syndrome (Corker et al. 2013). The condition is after that related to issues within the personal life of the person and the environmental factors that interact together with those conditions to produce a scenario through which the person is impaired. Such factors often include mobility issues, access to transportation, buildings and the non-existence or limited social support structures.
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Emanating from the world health organization, the population of the people with disability is in the range of fifteen percent of the world population. The percentage is cognizant of all forms of disability that people experience. The statistic is a representation of around 110-190 million people in the world right now. Nonetheless, the population is not inclusive of the people living with a temporary disability. Therein, the number is subject to fluctuation on the higher extremities due to those with a temporary disability. Sources of disability emanate from various sources which include, genetically related disabilities, disabilities resulting from congenital disabilities, accidents, traumatic events; job-related disabilities as well as other factors within the activities of human life. As health conditions, the number of people with disabilities is on the rise across the world which can be attributed to several factors including aging as well as other issues that have proliferated the existence of chronic health conditions (World Health Organization 2015). Depending on nature of their disabilities, various people encounter various challenges and hindrances in the access of health services pertinent either to their recovery or secondary injury protection.
Categorization of disabilities takes the form of various perspectives due to the different causes of disabilities in an individual. Therefore, cognizant of that fact, disabilities are therein diverse and require health needs as different as their forms of disability. The severity of the situation id cognizant of the over fifteen percent of the world population, which often accounts for individuals over the age of fifteen, lives with a form of impairment. Nonetheless, all people with disability have the primary healthcare needs that resemble those of ordinary people (Tuffrey-Wijne et al. 2014). The difference therein becomes the accessibility issues that exist within the policy system and the physical environment that limits the accessibility of such crucial services. Nonetheless, there are specialized needs that various categories of disabilities require for recovery, prevention of secondary injuries as well as coping mechanisms.
Stemming from the United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, access to healthcare services is embedded in the rights of these individuals. The rights embedded in article 25 of the convention underpin the need for provided access to healthcare for people with disability as universal rights. This is in recognition that discriminatory policies as well as environmental factors that are not inclusive of people with disability. Therein, healthcare systems are at the obligation of such rights to the provision of health services to people affected by disabilities.
Forms of health services with people with disabilities
Stemming from healthcare statistics, people with disabilities have been reported to seek medical and health services more frequently as opposed to people without a disability. Given the number of people without a disability is much greater, there is an increasing number of unmet healthcare needs of the people with disabilities. On the other hand, the healthcare services have been recognized to be expensive and especially the specialized care for people with disabilities and therefore limiting their access to such services. Healthcare services for people with disabilities take various forms depending on the category of disability and the needs of particular individuals. Services for health take various forms for people with disabilities, and they include, recovery services, coping and support services as well as the secondary injury prevention services (Rimmer, 1999). In the recent past, various healthcare services and health promotions have increased emphasis on prevention of disabilities as opposed to the coping and support as well as wellness and prevention for secondary injuries.
Recovery services for people with disabilities
Health care services dedicated to recovery services for people with disabilities are offered to individuals with particular categories of disabilities. In most cases, people with temporary disabilities take part in such services. From this perspective, there is a range of services dedicated to such people. The services are offered to people with potential for full recovery, and therefore the services offered are specific to the people and take place at the request need until the person is fully recovered. People in need of recovery services are initially in shock due to the sudden immobility that they face, for instance, people with back injuries, broken legs, and mental disability due to traumatic events. Therein the services for such people differ widely depending on the type of disability. Therefore such services include Physical therapy, occupational therapy, mental health services among other mobility equipment services.
Coping and support services
People experiencing disabilities that are permanent or those that result from chronic disease require specialized healthcare services for long. Stemming from psychological, mental and health issues that are as a result of such disabilities, the people require the support services that are not only paying attention to their immediate impairment but also help on issues or resuming functionality in the society. These services provided by healthcare system do not only cater to direct patients with a disability but also the immediate family and friends living with people with disability. The services are expanded to encompass these individuals as they are pertinent to their coping mechanism and support system. Nonetheless, the access of these services is among the factors that affect the healthcare system for people with disability.
Healthcare services geared towards prevention of further injuries
People living with disabilities are at the risk of developing further health complications as well as injuries related to their immobility or impairment. Cognizant of this devastating information, there is a growing wave through which services related to such activities are provided. For instance, people suffering from spinal injuries suffer from mobility constraints, and therefore, any activities are done by the person expose the individual to the risk of further injuries (Mendis, 2013). Therein, there is a need for healthcare services that are geared towards such services ware imperative to the health of such disabilities. However, such services are not only limited to individuals physical disabilities but rather to a range of disability services for the various categorizations that exist.
Preventative injury health services encompass a range of activities, facilities as well as equipment deployable for reduced injury proliferation. The services further include rehabilitation services within the healthcare system with the aim of maintaining health for disabled persons. The perspective is generated due to the recognition of incre4ased cost and alleviated suffering due to inadequate attention to healthcare needs of the people with disability. The perspective is recognized in healthcare systems across the world, however, in the United States, the perspective much emphasized in the health promotions with the aim of the reduced cost associated with further injuries. The services further expand their role to manage the services through the adequate provision of information to the people with disability. This is in recognition that a large percentage of secondary injuries that occur in people with disability is as a result of insufficient information on the conditions as well as the steps that would be taken minimizing the strain and injury (World Health Organization. 2015). The role played by the service providers in this perspective is categorical to the healthcare services of this nature. Therefore, the process takes a person-centered perspective of the people with disability are oriented to the services that are tailored to their individual health needs.
Specific health services for people with disabilities
Regardless of the objective of the healthcare services, there is a range of services that cater to people with disability of various categories. There are organizations private, public and nonprofit organizations that specialize with the provision of health services to people with disabilities. Although the various organization has specialized on the type of services and the disability they cater towards, this analysis will encompass all services to such individuals. Therein, services discussed in this context include people with various disabilities such as intellectual disability, acquired a brain injury, neurological conditions, physical disability as well as dual diagnoses both intellectual and mental conditions. They include:
Women clinic services
Women with disabilities like their regular counterparts require health services pertinent to their unique physiology. Nonetheless, women with a disability present unique health complications through which they require specialized care. For instance, organizations that provide these services recognize the negligence and discrimination that women face uniquely those with disability in access to health services. These dedicated services to women with disability are non-discriminative of the category of disability and handle issues such reproductive health as well as other services such as pap smears and breast and cervical cancer screening. The roles of such services are inclusive of the regular health services required by a woman.
Gap services
These are services provided and specialized to people with mental health conditions, especially for the young people. The services are pertinent to the assessment of services devoid of follow-up or recovery services. Therefore, the concentration of the services is by identification of young people with mental health issues. For instance, the service is offered in Australia for the assessment of issues such as developmental disabilities as well as issues of emotional and behavioral disabilities. With its significant objective residing in assessment, the services therefore provided are on a short-term basis. Among its significant facets, the service provides information to the population on issues related to mental health disorders for those who seek information (Scior, 2016). The information is pertinent to the whole process as the dispensation of that knowledge allows for informed choices and reduction of prejudices based on mental health. Further, the information provided is categorical in offering direction to other support services for people with mental disabilities.
Day Centers and Day Care
Day centers are facilities operated in the public health system as well as other organizations partnering in health. These centers are provided to people with disability to provide various services. For people with disabilities, the services are pertinent to their rehabilitation process as well as other services. The facilities are also inclusive of offering services for daycare for the old people who have no full-time care. The major facets of the facility are the provision of both medical and health services. Inset, the center may include other facilities and services such as recreational, sport as well as leisure facilities for people with disability (Heller, Gibbons, and Fisher 2015). The facilities scope is expanded in its functions to support services pertinent to people with disability. This includes: transport services for ferrying people to and from the day center to their respective homes, health monitoring, personal care that promotes independent living, laundry services for the people with disability and the old people, activation and rehabilitation programs as well as chiropody.
Respite care
Cognizant of the intensive and rigorous work that it takes to take care of individuals with a disability as well as the old, there is a need for the caregiver to take breaks and replenish. Therein, this service provides alternative family or even institutions where the person under care can be placed on a temporary basis. The placement of the respite service is either based in the community or even in an institution that caters to such needs. The services offered are subject to the categorization of the individual's disability due to the uniqueness of the placement family or volunteer organization. The service rang from a single day to some days depending on the requirements of the caregiver. Nonetheless, the availability of the service is pertinent to the continuation of consistent care for the disabled.
Rehabilitation and training services
Cognizant of the need for independent living for people with disability, rehabilitation and training services are pertinent to the process. The rehabilitation part of the se4rvice takes the concept of services aimed at regaining some forms of mobility and functionality. Therefore, under this criterion, services offered include physical therapy of the people with physical disabilities. The aim of the therapy is aimed at the maintenance of health and regaining mobility in the new status. Other services include psychological therapy. This form of therapy enables the individual to accept, live and cope with disability. Occupational therapy is included in this service category as they help all individuals from those suffering from physical, mental and psychological disabilities to cope and find meaning on daily activities (Kalron et al. 2015). Training offered, on the other hand, helps the individual to gain new skills through which they can employ to gain meaningful employment and achieve a form of independent living.
Recommendations and conclusions
People are living with disability face stressful situations in their quest to pursue a healthy living situation. Nonetheless, there are issues within the environment and the society that need to be adjusted to cater for their needs and enhance their ability to assimilate into the society. For instance, one of the most significant challenges they face is mobility issues in the environment. Cognizant of this issue, it’s imperative therefore for the society to foster a climate well-adjusted to their mobility. For example, building engineers should ensure that the building they design and construct is easily accessible to people with disability. To achieve this, the buildings ought to have a functioning elevator for the buildings with multiple floors, and a walking rump. Further, recognition of this issue, public transportation ought to be fitted with systems that allow them to be accessible to people with disabilities. Healthcare is pertinent to people with a disability it's therefore imperative that every healthcare system ought to have policies that provide access to services and medical services. Further, there is a need for organizational as well as a societal embracement of people with disability. Achievement of these requires intensive health and disability promotion as well as information dissemination to ensure that people have relevant information. Such information reduces issues of discrimination against people with disability in access to healthcare as well as opportunities in employment.
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