Will the federal election bring good news to those who work with those who sufer from disabilities?

Well here in Canada we are in the process of electing a new Government. It is a time to reflect on how the past Government dealt with the issues and concerns of disabled community and how those who want to govern, purpose to deal with those same issues and concerns. I am not going to bore you with what the Canadian Government has been up to, but rather I wish to prod those of us who work with those who are disabled to ensure we enlighten the candidates as to the issues and concerns we are facing.

Of course, disability related issues are not high on most politician's lists, in fact they most likely aren't even on their radar screens. For the most part there are no earth shattering revelation from the politicians concerning topics associated with disability related issues.

There are two major times when the politicians will consider discussing disability related issues, elections and budgets. Recently, we saw an example of this when the Government of Canada presented it's budget, and included within the budget was the Family Caregiver Tax Credit, to help family members care for other members of the family who are experiencing a disabling condition. Since the Government fell, we are faced with an election.

Now is the time for those who work within the disabled community to ensure that the politicians understand the issues. We are in the unique position of being on the front-lines, this allows us the ability to educate the politicians concerning what has been happening and what may happen in the future. In Canada, like many countries in the world, we are facing an increase in the number of individual being diagnosed with severe disabling conditions, such as Alzheimer, dementia, etc. We are neither prepared nor are we able to handle the present level of these conditions within our society. Now is the time to ensure the those that will form the government of tomorrow understand the needs of today and the future.

So let's let the politician know what the issues are effecting the disability community and that we expect action. Remember to vote on May 2, 2011.

Even though February has just begun, winter is still very much part of our lives around here.

I was listening to the news on the radio a few days ago when I heard a story about a young girl who has been unable to attend school for the past few weeks. The reason it seems is that her grandmother, who escorts the young girl to school, is confined to a wheel chair and unable to navigate the snow covered sidewalks and streets.

The story got me thinking about how often do we as disability management professionals run into issues with our return to work plans that cause our plans to get derailed, such as the weather or other extenuating circumstances. What do we do? How do we handle the delay? How does it effect our clients?

So the question I have for all of you out there, is how do you handle the unexpected changes to your plans? How do you cope? Who pays for the delays? Can unexpected delays be avoided?

Back from the IFDM 2010 Conference

I'm back! This was my first time attending an IFDM Conference. The venue was the Wilshire Grand, in downtown LA. I heard that there was between 450 to 500 attendees, from around the world.

I was one of many individuals who had a chance to present to my fellow attendees. My presentation was one of the many breakfast briefings, held during the conference. I presented a summary of the paper entitled, Maximizing Disability Management Through a Virtual "Community of All Practices". Since it was early, the questions I received were after my presentation, once people had had their coffee and something to eat.

I attended as many sessions as I could, I found them to be enlightening. All the presentations that I had the privilege of attending, were presented by individuals who had a passion for what they presented and wanted to pass this enthusiasm onto the audience.

Since this was a green conference, the vast majority of the presenters did not supply handouts of their presentations. Several did place a downloadable abstract of their presentation on the IFDM website, for delegates to view or download.

I met some colleagues from my past, as well as making new friends from around the world who share my passion for the field of disability management. I even met an individual from Australia who read my pre-conference blog entry moments before we ran into each other looking at the "fizzy" drinks (pop to the North American crowds).

I came away knowing that the field of disability management has similar issues no matter where you come from in the world. The big question is, what do we do with all the new found knowledge we have developed from the conference? Who will we share it with, who should we share it with, and how best to go forward to further develop the field of disability management?

The next conference will be held in London in 2012, I might just see you there.....

IFDM 2010 Conference

Well it has been a while, but I am back to the blog, at least for a brief moment to blow my own horn.

I am off to the International Forum on Disability Management 2010 (IFDM 2010) in Los Angeles next week (September 20-22). This will be my first time to the conference, and I hope not my last.

The conference is held every two years. This the first time it has been held in the United States. What is it about, well I'm glad you asked. On their webs page it says "IFDM 2010 provides a unique opportunity for the health, safety, workers’ compensation and disability management communities to advance knowledge and share insight. Over 500 delegates from around the world will attend to share experiences on how to create, implement, and evaluate comprehensive disability management initiatives." I think that sums it up quite well.

I hope to see some of you there, and for those who can't make it I will post a blog about my adventure at the conference when I return.

Summer brings vacations from caseloads

I take a break from my series of blogs, to celebrate summer or more precisely, the annual summer vacation.

Back in the old days when I had a caseload, I dreaded summer. It was the time of year when one's caseload always seemed to south, especially while on vacation and I was expected to handle other peoples cases while they exploded while they were gone on vacation.

My dread was two-fold, it stemmed from the uneasy feeling of leaving my caseload to my colleagues, as well as having them leave theirs to me. It was inevitable that problems would arise and then explode. On one side I was left trying to coping with a colleague's files and trying to figure out the best course of action to bring various situation to an end and not over step by bounds. On the other side I hated to be away from my caseload, because I knew what I was doing and why, but I wasn't always convinced my colleagues understood my methods or plans for may clients.

So what did I learn? First, spend time to document your decisions and your future plans for a file. This will help those who work your files to understand what has been done and why it was done (even though they may not agree with your plan, they will at least understand what you are up to).

Second, create a "potential problems list" (this is a stand alone document not appearing on any client's file). This is a list of potential problem files, the issues of concern, and what to do if the clients cause problems while you are gone.

Thirdly, try to ensure that no major decisions or events are scheduled to occur while you are away, and if this can't be avoided leave instruction on your "potential problems list" as to what should be done.

Forth, if you make a decision on a file you are covering document your actions, what happened, and what you did to resolve the situation. This will help your poor colleague when they get back and have to figure out has happened and why (I need not say anymore, we have all been there, it will pass).

So given what I have said, enjoy your vacations and know that there is nothing you can do to prevent issues from coming to a head when you are gone, so thrust in your fellow colleagues to handle your cases while your away and enjoy your time away from the caseload.

Ergonomics

Well, this is number four in my series of blogs concerning "the professions that make up disability management".

Today I will discuss Ergonomics, or more specifically Ergonomists. So what is ergonomics? Well the Association of Canadian Ergonomists summed it up best, "ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with interactions among humans and other elements of a system (e.g.the tools, equipment, products, tasks, organization, technology, and environment)."

So what do they do? Well according to ACE, "Ergonomists contribute to the design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products, environments and systems in order to make them compatible with the needs, abilities and limitations of people. " In other words, they help humans to interphase with tools more effectively and more efficiently.

Ergonomists can be found working independently in a consulting role or within health care facilities such as a hospitals or rehabilitation centers.

It should be noted that the Association of Canadian Ergonomists are having the annual conference in Kelowna, October 5-7 2010.

Occupational Therapists

Well this is my third installment of my series related to the professions that make up the field disability management professionals.

Today I will briefly discuss the profession of Occupational Therapy. Occupational therapists can be found employed in such places as health care organizations (hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, etc), in industry, community agencies, or self-employed. They may also specialize in working with client who have specific disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries, elderly people, or individual suffering from chronic conditions (arthritis, mental illness, etc).

How do they do their job? According to their national website, they use what is called a systematic approach. They describe it as being based on evidence and professional reasoning which enables them to assist their clients to develop the means and opportunities to identify and engage in the occupations of life. It is a collaborative process which involves assessing, planning, implementing, monitoring, modifying and evaluating the client in relation their to occupational engagement. They look at the whole person and how the individual interacts with the world around and in what roles they are involved in (worker, parent, spouse, care giver, etc).

The scope of practice for occupational therapy is determined by provincial acts. For more information contact the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.