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M.O.N.T.E.
Mobility Organization for
Needed Transportation and Equipment
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THE PROBLEM
Stroke
is a thief that not only can steal its victims' ability to walk,
leaving them wheelchair bound, but may take away the use of one side of
their entire body, along with their sense of balance. With only one
usable hand and arm they are severely limited in what they are able to
do and can also lose partial vision and hearing in the affected side,
the ability to swallow correctly, and in some cases their speech.
Fatigue
is a constant companion, and they often suffer excruciating pain and
violent muscle spasms, even years after the stroke.
Most
government and private insurances will not provide coverage for the
full scope of assistance and equipment that can help alleviate these
difficulties and offer more liberty and quality of life. While
insurances usually cover the cost of a manual wheelchair, the costs for
modifications to make a house wheelchair accessible and safe are not
covered. This limits the ability to move freely around one's own home
and have necessary access to bathrooms, kitchens and other areas.
The
disabled person's freedom and quality of life are further diminished by
not being able to leave the home in their manual or powered wheelchair,
either because of a lack of wheelchair-accessible doorways and ramps or
proper wheelchair-accessible transportation. This is especially
difficult for elderly couples when one becomes the caregiver of the
other. The physical demands of lifting the disabled and their
wheelchair in and out of vehicles that are not handicap friendly causes
injury to the caregiver and results in a double-jeopardy situation
where neither’s needs can be met. All too often the caregiver is forced
to leave the disabled spouse alone during necessary trips out for
groceries or other errands. The caregiver feels guilt and heartache for
not taking the disabled out more often and anxiety for having to leave
him or her at home with no assistance. The disabled spouse feels
isolation at being left at home and sadness that the burden of all the
shopping, errands, etc. falls to his or her caregiver.
A loved
one, especially a spouse, who is suddenly placed in the role of
caregiver not only loses their partner's help in the many tasks of
maintaining a household but must spend hours each day caring for the
disabled spouse. The lifting, stabilizing, dressing, undressing, and
constant monitoring and care make the demands of caregiving a physical
strain on even the young and healthy, but to an elderly caregiver they
are extremely difficult and even damaging. The constant lifting and
pulling often bring on arthritic problems in the hands, arms and
shoulders as well as problems with the back. Although a caregiver is
deeply grateful that their loved one has survived, the caregiver's role
can be emotionally demanding and draining with no resources or time to
care for one's self. Insurance does not provide a solution for these
caregivers to maintain their own health and well-being so that they can
continue in their role as a caregiver.
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