Concept of Disability – This book covers the entire syllabus of ” Community Health Nursing” prescribed by the Universities of Bangladesh- for Basic and diploma nursing students. We tried to accommodate the latest information and topics.
This book is an examination-friendly setup according to the teachers’ lectures and examination questions. At the end of the book previous university questions are given. We hope in touch with the book students’ knowledge will be upgraded and flourish. The unique way of presentation may make your reading of the book a pleasurable experience.
Concept of Disability
Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. (WHO)
Or,
Disability is an impairment that may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or some combination of these. It substantially affects a person’s life activities and may be present from birth or occur during a person’s lifetime.
[Ref- K Park 26/501]
Causes of disability:
1. Musculoskeletal: Between athletic or sports related issues, mere life events (such as hurting your back while helping a neighbor move) or things such as arthritis and chronic join pain, this tops the list of reasons people are out of work for a few weeks to a few months. Muscle, back, and joint disorders count for more than one-in-four long-term disabilities.
2. Cancer.
3. Injuries: Exercise mishaps, surgery, accidents
4. Cardiovascular: Between stress, poor lifestyle choices, and genetic tendencies, heart disease causes nearly one in 10 new long-term disability claims
5. Mental Disorders: During a given year, about 26 percent of the adult population are diagnosed with one or more mental disorder. No wonder they account for nearly 10 percent of long-term disabilities.
6. Nervous System: This includes eye and ear disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.
7. Infectious Disease
8. Respiratory Disease
9. Accidents
10. Malnutrition.
[Ref- BT Basavanthappa/3d and K Park 26/50)]
Prevention of disability:
Primary prevention:
1. Know about the causes and effects of disability.
2. Early recognition
3. Avoid accident and injury
4. Raising consciousness in workplace.
5. Genetic counselling
6. Immunization: Against poliomyelitis
7. Avoid substance/drug and alcohol abuse
8. Prevention of child, elder abuse
9. Nutrition: Avoid malnutrition
10. Others:
✔ Avoidance of infectious diseases
✔ Potentially teratogenic drugs
✔ X-ray & smoking
✔ Special care of high risk women especially during labour, and accident prevention.
Secondary prevention:
1. organizing and coordinating family support for people with disabling conditions;
2. Organizing coalitions among people with different types of disabling conditions.
3. Peer counseling.
4. Long-term monitoring and follow-up of referred clients.
5. Computerized information and referral system.
6. Health maintenance programs, often developed in conjunction with local rehabilitation centers.
7. Transportation.
8. Housing assistance and
9. Advocacy, including participation in the development of policies that foster integration of people with disabling conditions into the community.
[(Ref- BT Basavanthappa/3 and K Park 26/50]
Management of disability:
- building commitment for the concept of disability management;
- assessing organizational needs in order to determine the actions required;
- identifying the required resources;
- building a collaborative team to manage the program;
- organizing and coordinating family support for people with disabling conditions;
- Organizing coalitions among people with different types of disabling conditions.
- Peer counseling.
- Long-term monitoring and follow-up of referred clients.
- Computerized information and referral system.
- Health maintenance programs, often developed in conjunction with local rehabilitation centers.
- Transportation.
- Housing assistance and
- Advocacy, including participation in the development of policies that foster integration of
- people with disabling conditions into the community.
- Facilitate the early and safe return to work; and
- Support efforts to obtain every benefit to which the employee is entitled.
[Ref- BT Basavanthappa/3 and K Park 26/50)]
Read more: