Why Health Checks Are Important For People With Disabilities
Individuals with disabilities are at an increased risk of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. They may also experience stress and anxiety when they experience a change in their environment or if they have to travel to unfamiliar places, and they may also have difficulty finding accessible transportation to get around.
However, some have difficulty accessing doctors’ offices or clinics. As a result, they may miss necessary appointments or need to cancel them due to lack of transportation. The result is that these individuals do not get the treatment they need for their medical conditions, which can lead to long-term health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
That’s why people with disabilities must go through an annual health check. A health check isn’t the same as a regular checkup because the typical one is where your doctor provides a look at your overall health. On the other hand, a health check is much more in-depth. It’s a complete physical exam, including blood work and possibly imaging. The health check results will tell your doctor how to treat you, if anything is wrong with you, or if you need extra tests or treatment.
Here are five reasons people with disabilities must get a health check:
- Identify Areas Where More Support Is Necessary
Suffering from a disability might require looking for support from professionals in other areas of life. For example, someone deaf might need an interpreter during discussions about legal or medical issues. A person with a learning disability might need help with reading, writing, math, and other academic subjects.
With a health check with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), you can gain professional advice about your needs and the services available in your community. You can also get information about the support offered by an NDIS services provider. You can then decide which agency will provide you with the most appropriate level of support.
- Give You Access To Equitable Care
When you have a disability, you must be aware of your current health status. However, finding quality care can be a problem for a PWD.
According to a 2018 study, PWDs often experience ‘poor health outcomes due to a lack of equitable and timely access to appropriate health care.’ Most doctors aren’t confident in diagnosing and treating PWDs, especially when a disability is not within their scope of expertise. The chance of getting a misdiagnosis is relatively high. It can lead to unnecessary treatment procedures, which can only cost patients more money for prescription costs and subsequent hospital visits down the road. This may also serve to increase stress and anxiety.
With health checks, PWDs have access to doctors who are willing and confident to provide accurate assessments promptly and at a low cost.
Health checks are essential for people with disabilities because they are an opportunity to make a self-assessment, and they provide early intervention when a potential health issue is present. It also allows people with disabilities who cannot afford regular checkups to receive valuable information about their overall health status at a low cost and promptly.
- Help You Stay Active And Fit
Staying active and healthy can be challenging for PWDs, especially those unable to drive themselves.
To help them stay healthy, many people with disabilities use health checks as part of their routine. Health checks can help you stay active and fit by letting you know what your body needs. Your doctor will ask questions about how much exercise you do and how often you go to the gym or other exercise classes. They will also want to know if you have any medical conditions or injuries that need treatment.
If anything needs attention, your doctor will ensure it gets fixed so that it doesn’t worsen and cause more problems later.
- Provide Accurate Health Assessment
Health checks are essential for people with disabilities, for they can help to identify any problems related to their disability before they become severe.
Generally, people tend to forego regular checkups because they feel fine on the surface. They only seek professional help once their symptoms go beyond their pain threshold.
However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), PWDs are actually ‘more prone to noncommunicable diseases, such as smoking, poor diet, alcohol consumption, and a lack of physical activity.’ This risk factor makes it essential for them to undergo health checks.
At a late stage of a disease, there may be a low chance of misdiagnosis, but there’s a high chance you may not be able to respond well to treatment, and the costs can be overwhelming.
Through health checks, you can make a self-assessment and receive early intervention services when a health issue is present. They will enable you to lower the risks of complications that could further affect your quality of life.
- Help Avoid Costly Emergency Room Visits
Health checks are essential for PWDs because they help prevent costly emergency room visits.
Since health checks provide an accurate status of your health, any early signs or symptoms can be treated to prevent the risk of developing other medical conditions. For instance, if you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you are also at risk of stroke, heart disease, etc. With a proper treatment plan, the risk lessens, sparing you from huge ER visit costs.
An annual health check keeps your doctor informed about any health changes linked to your disability. This information can help doctors recommend treatment adjustments so that you get the best possible treatment for your condition. It will also allow them to ensure that any new medications you take are adequate for your situation.
Key Takeaway
People with disabilities have higher rates of illness and complications because they’re more likely not to get the support they need daily. This lack of support can affect their ability to work, go out, or even enjoy themselves with friends and family. So people with disabilities need to know what’s going on with their bodies to get treatment. This way, they can be aware of changes in their bodies over time.
A trustworthy health check ensures that any issues can be spotted early and dealt with accordingly. They ensure patients receive the proper diagnosis and treatment to prevent severe illnesses from developing.
