Module 6- Health, Physical, And Sensory Disabilities Flashcards
What causes ALS, who does it impact, how long does a individual have to live
No known cause, most commonly impact individuals between 40 and 70 years old, most die within 2-5 years of diagnosis
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis refers to?
Also referred to as Lou Getirig’s disease which affects neurons(nerve cells used by central nervous system for generating voluntary movements)
Characteristics of ALS
Progressive disease
Fatal one
No cure
Causes motor neurons to degenerate or break down over time
Neurons become incapable of sending messages to muscles leading to muscle inactivity resulting in weakness eventually muscle atrophy(decrease/wasting away of muscle tissue)
Loss ability to walk, move arms, turn head, eat, speak
Actions and behaviour regulated by autonomic nervous system
Does not clearly impact cognitive ability/personality
Best practice for individuals with ALS
Be patient
Be calm
Reassure person
If you think medical event is occurring obtain medical attention
Practice persons first language and plain language skills
What is diabetes
Metabolic disorder affecting over 3million Canadians
What causes diabetes
By high blood sugar lead to problems with various organs and systems within the body including cardiovascular system and kidneys
What is diabetic comas
Dangerous complication which occurs when blood sugar levels in affected are dangerously high or too low
What causes diabetes
Leading causes are lifestyle and genetics
Overweight
Smoking
What are characteristics of diabetes
Shortness of breath Nausea/vomiting Fast/irregular heart beat Shaky/nervous Sweaty Confusion Breath which smells like alcohol
What are the types of diabetes
TYPE ONE: not preventable results from failure of pancreas to create insulin, which allows glucose to be stores in blood supply instead if being used as energy, usually diagnosed at young age, lifelong disease, must take insulting, eat properly and exercise
TYPE TWO: pancreas simply fails to produce enough insulin, progressive condition becomes more difficult to regulate with age
Best practice when interacting with individuals with diabetes
Very important to recognize an individual with diabetes since a diabetic attack can mimic intoxication and if left in drunk tank over night they can die
What is epilepsy
Neurological condition which causes periods of irregular brain activity leading to seizures
What cause epilepsy
Not well know. More known about what triggers an epileptic episode then what causes that condition
Brain injury due to trauma, exposure to or abuse of chemical are suspected causes
What can trigger an epileptic seizure
Stress Fear Anxiety Flickering lights Missed medication Lack of sleep Illness Missed meals Poor nutrition
What are some treatments for epilepsy
Anti-seizure medication
In rare instances surgery
What are some characteristics of epilepsy
Different types of seizures- violent shaking, zoning out or appear to have mind elsewhere
Best practices when dealing with someone with epilepsy
Do not put anything in their mouth
Remove objects surrounding or on the person that can cause harm
Place person in recovery position (laying on sides clear airways)
Remain with person will consciousness is regained and keep them calm
What is Tourette’s syndrome
As a neurological or neurochemical disorder characterized by tics (sudden movements/vocalization) that occurs repeatedly in same way
What causes Tourette’s? Can it be cured?
Not been discovered
People sometimes grow out of symptoms
No cure and lifespan not affected
What are characteristics of Tourette’s?
Can be simple tics of complex tics
Simple: motor-eye blinking head jerking vocal- throat clearing, tongue clicking
Complex:motor-jumping, touching, smelling vocal- saying words out of context, repeating, using social unacceptable language
What is stroke
Described as condition which occurs when sudden decrease of blood supply to brain leads to oxygen deprivation and death of surrounding brain tissue
What causes stroke
Caused when blood vessels in the brain ruptured, damaging and ultimately resulting in death of near by brain cells
What are characteristics of stroke? Can often lead to?
Characteristics vary depending on what part of the brain is damaged
Lead to permanent brain injury
Stroke can be help with?
Medication
Rehabilitation therapy to recover some of the damaged motor skills and cognitive function
Best practices when dealing with someone who has had a stroke
Signs may be be clearly visible
Someone complains of severe and sudden onset of unusual head ache, demonstrating difficulty with motor skills, vision, speech, memory and ability to reason, consider possibility of stroke
Call for immediate medical assistance
Always remain calm
What is hearing impairment
When a person has lost some if not all of their ability to hear
When is someone considered dead
When an individual with complete hearing loss in one or both ears
What causes hearing impairment
Can be hereditary
Can be caused by mother being exposed to some illnesses or medication during pregnancy
Several types of childhood illnesses
Head injuries
Exposure to repetitive, loud noise in environment
Characteristics of hearing impairment
Underdeveloped or limited spoken language
May use alternative forms of communication
Can hearing impairment be reversed? Anything done to help?
Not reversible
Hearing devices
Implantation surgery
What are some cues that might indicate you might be dealing with a hearing impairment
Appears to be straining to hear what you are saying
Struggles to hear you when there is noise in background
Asks you to repeat yourself
Appears to misunderstand what you are saying
Telephone convo, provides cues that hey are unable to hear you
Best practices when dealing with hearing impairment
Do not assume someone has a hearing impairment
Remove environmental noises
Ensure you have access to professional signer for ppl with profound deafness
What vision is needed to be legally blind
Less than 20/200 in each eye
What is tunnel vision
Impairment resulting in decreased field of vision
Causes of visual impairment
Health and environmental factors
Loss presented at birth associated with related to development of fetus
Later in life can be attributed to various diseases of eye
Is visual impairment correctable
No. Surgery and glasses may help resolve some ability to see in specific cases
Best practices when dealing with persons with health, physical and sensory disabilities
Need to be professional and respectful at all times
May need to call for assistance of an interpreter
If they have a guard dog remember that the dog is trained to be loyal to owner and to protect owner. Remember you actions will be directed to both individual and support dog
What are some potential misunderstandings between persons with disabilities and the police
- unexpected actions taken by some individuals with disabilities may be misconstrued by officers as suspicious/illegal activity/uncooperative behaviour
- deaf/hearing impairment/speech/learning/blind/visually impaired may not recognize or be able to respond to police directions, may be seen as uncooperative
- May have staggering gait/slurring speech result of disability/medication they take may be perceived as intoxicated
