For an older adult who has spent a lifetime making decisions about where to go, when to get up and how to live, entering a skilled nursing facility should not mean that every decision involving mobility suddenly becomes someone else’s.
As California physical therapists who work in nursing-homes, we confront this tension every day.
Another summer of extreme heat is sending many Californians to hospitals and emergency rooms in growing numbers.
Behind the numbers are people without access to cool places, workers laboring in unsafe conditions, children attending schools without enough shade and residents managing chronic health conditions in homes that trap heat. In too many cases, we can only infer their stories.
Two years ago, my son James was invited to speak at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. at an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of Olmstead v. L.C.
The 1999 Supreme Court case said people with disabilities have a right to receive care in their own homes and live in the community, rather than being forced to live in segregated institutional care facilities.
Gas prices have been surging — especially in California, where an average gallon of fuel is now just under $6. While everyone is feeling the pain, advocates urge older adults and people with disabilities to consider some of the available low-cost or free transportation solutions.
But because transportation is a fragmented offering — from your health insurance company to government agencies and nonprofits — it may take a bit of sleuthing to understand the available services in your area.