Millions of family and friends who help older, disabled adults manage medications and navigate the health system may be sacrificing their own well-being, a new study suggests. Caregivers who provided "substantial help" with health care in these settings were roughly twice as likely to experience physical, financial and emotional difficulties as those who did not provide that help, the study found. Such caregivers, if they worked for a living, were three times more likely to be less productive on the job due to caregiving-related distractions and fatigue, according to the analysis. The researchers believe it's the first nationally representative study of the effects of caregiving experienced by those who assist older adults with health care.
People who need long-term health care often prefer to live at home or in the community rather than moving to an institution such as a nursing home. Home- and community-based care has also been proven to be more cost effective. But Medicaid, which is the major payer of long-term care, is structured to favor institutional care over home and community care.
The Affordable Care Act gives states an incentive to expand home- and community-based services in Medicaid. States that change their Medicaid programs to include more home and community care will get more federal funding.
Other health impairment is a disability category included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Other health impairment means having a disability caused by disease, condition, disorder, or injury that substantially affects strength, vitality, or alertness. To be identified with an other health impairment, the student's condition must cause a substantial impact on his educational performance.
The category also includes a "heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment. A student with attention deficit disorder, for example, who is distracted by the every day classroom environment and who cannot pay attention may be diagnosed with an other health impairment if the problem is severe enough to affect his learning.