Blog #5

 Kids are expensive in general, but when you have to worry about endless therapy and doctor appointments, medical equipment, and any special playing or therapy equipment, the money adds up quick. These parents are all trying to give their kids the best quality of life possible, but therapy goes beyond the one-hour sessions in the clinic. The parents all continue the therapy at home, but if they do not have the proper resources, the child may not progress. The families already have so much to worry about, and having to find the money to pay for necessary equipment should not be a stressor they have to worry about. I learned that many of these patients are already on scholarships which gives them an allotted amount of money to go towards equipment and therapies, but many times this doesn't cover stuff for their homes. Through the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the therapists are able to request equipment for the patients on behalf of the families. Though it can be a lot of work to go through the whole process of requesting, the therapists are more than happy to because they know what a big relief and difference it will make for their patients and families. The therapists want only the best for the kids and they want to see them improve. I was helping one of the PTs find equipment for one of the patients I helped with, and she walked me through the requesting process. For this specific patient, the parents want equipment and activities to help with coordination, strength, and fine motor skills. We put in requests for things such as a mini trampoline and some puzzles. While this might seem simple and not super therapeutic, the simplest things can provide therapy while still having fun. As far as the requesting process goes, the therapist has to link every item they are requesting, provide an explanation of the diagnosis, reason as to why they need the item, what it will help with, and how they know it will help. The items are not guaranteed to get approved, but assuming they all do, the county uses a portion of its local tax levy money to purchase the items and provide the family with them. The deadline for the requests is December 8, so the therapists are very busy filling all of them out for their patients.  


Link to the request form: https://hipaa.jotform.com/222026079878161 

Link to Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities: https://cuyahogabdd.org/dd-services/family-supports-program/



Comments

  1. Rachel MullenDecember 8, 2023 at 6:40 AM

    Hayley, I see that you are learning so much from the physical and occupational therapists. I love how you described the patients that you saw in blog post #4. Because of your detailed descriptions, I could imagine these kids progressing through their therapy sessions to build strength and better their quality of life. Yes, therapy is expensive, and I know this because my oldest son had two years of therapy for two different diagnoses. Although it was expensive, I would do it all over again. After two years of treatment, he had turned into a kid who was more self-aware and confident. That’s amazing that the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (my mom used to work there, a long time ago!) can request equipment for their patients. It looks like today is the deadline to submit the requests. I know that this is time-consuming for the therapists, and much appreciated by the patients. Keep up the amazing work, Hayley! -Mrs. Mullen

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