We now offer Flu Shots!
Call Us Today! (770) 534-2245

Get Healthy!

Results for search "Disabled / Special Needs".

Health News Results - 29

U.S. to Strengthen Protections for Air Travelers With Wheelchairs

Air travel can be miserable for people with disabilities, particularly if an airline mishandles, damages or loses their wheelchair in transit.

Now, the Biden Administration has proposed tough new standards for how airlines treat and accommodate people in wheelchairs.

The proposed rules would make mishandling wheelchairs an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act, allowing ...

Better Health Care Access Is Helping People With Down Syndrome Live Longer

Americans with Down syndrome have a critical lifeline in Medicaid insurance, new research confirms.

But the publicly funded insurance program will have to respond to rising numbers of older adults with Down syndrome, researchers say.

"As more people with Down syndrome survive to older ages, the Medicaid system needs to be ready to serve this population with tailored, sensitive, and ...

Older Black Americans Hit Hardest by Disability

Most older adults want to spend their final days in the peace of their own home, but new research finds that Black Americans are far more likely to fall short of that goal.

Why? Because Black adults are much more likely than white adults to develop the kind of disability that will preclude them from being able to age in place.

The finding stems from a new survey that gathered inform...

Passengers in Wheelchairs Can't Use Most Airplane Washrooms. That Could Change

With airplane bathrooms inaccessible to most people with disabilities, those who use wheelchairs have a necessary pre-flight routine: Dehydrate and hope for the best.

Now, relief is on the way.

Among a series of actions aimed at making air travel easier for people with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) finalized a rule late last month that will require new s...

Parkinson's Patients Often Battle a Hidden Foe: Stigma

Patients with Parkinson's disease already face poorer mental and physical health, but now a new study shows they also suffer from decreased levels of hope and self-esteem due to the stigma associated with their disease.

"There are patients who don't even disclose the disease to family members because they're afraid that the children may change their opinion of them or start making plans ...

New U.S. Rule Mandates Easy Access to Airplane Bathrooms by People Using Wheelchairs

Airlines will now be required to make bathrooms on their planes more accessible for the disabled, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.

The new rule, authorized under the

  • Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
  • |
  • July 27, 2023
  • |
  • Full Page
    • Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. Children Has a Developmental Disability: CDC

    More kids in the United States are getting a developmental disability diagnosis, with prevalence close to 9% in 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

    Among 3- to 17-year-olds, 8.56% have ever been diagnosed with a developmental disability, compared to 7.4% in 2019, according to the agency's National Health Interview Survey.

    The diagnoses are far more com...

    Supreme Court Lets Gender Dysphoria Ruling Stand in Win for Transgender Rights

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday let stand a federal appeals court ruling that found people with gender dysphoria should be protected against discrimination under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

    "By declining to hear this case, the Supreme Court implicitly acknowledges what those who have seriously examined the issue have concluded: the ADA protects people who experience gende...

    'Like She Was Not Even There': Children With Disabilities Face Discrimination in Health Care

    Children with disabilities are discriminated against in health care settings -- to the detriment of their health, according to their parents.

    Thirty in-depth interviews with parents of children with disabilities revealed a disturbingly common thread.

    "They mistreated her and treated her like a robot. Every single time a nurse walked in the room, they treated her like she was not ev...

    Disability a Growing Concern for U.S. Cancer Survivors

    The percentage of cancer survivors who struggle with a disability has doubled in the past 20 years, new research shows.

    "The fact that we are saving more lives from cancer is worth celebrating, but it also warrants a shift toward understanding and improving the quality of life for those who survive,"said study co-author

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
  • |
  • June 9, 2023
  • |
  • Full Page
    • About 1 in 4 People on Autism Spectrum Has 'Profound' Autism

    While mild cases make up the majority of autism diagnoses, "profound" autism affects about 27% of American children with the developmental disability, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

    This is the first time the CDC has broken down that definition statistically.

    Children with profound autism are nonverbal, minimally verbal or have an IQ of ...

    There's Been a Big Decline in the Rate of Americans Hit by Disability

    A new study delivers some great news to older Americans, something many likely already realize in their daily lives.

    The prevalence of disabilities among seniors is down sharply from what it was just a decade before, researchers say.

    Fewer older adults have limitations in the activities that are an important part of daily life, from climbing stairs or walking without difficulty to...

    Mind-Controlled Wheelchair Brings New Freedom to People With Paralysis

    A severely paralyzed person no longer needs to go through brain surgery to try and steer a motorized wheelchair with their mind, researchers report.

    Through an electrode-studded cap placed on their head, several people with quadriplegia -- no function in all four limbs -- were able to produce brain waves that guided their wheelchair through a kind of hospital "obstacle course."

    The ...

    Half of Americans Over 50 Are Now Caregivers

    More than half of Americans aged 50 and up are helping an older adult manage tasks ranging from household chores to care for medical conditions, a new national poll shows.

    Researchers said the findings highlight the critical ro...

    'I'm Not the Doctor for You': Disabled Americans Face Discrimination Seeking Care

    Over 30 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), some doctors harbor biases toward people with disabilities, and even actively avoid accepting them as patients, a new study finds.

    In focus group discussions with about two dozen U.S. doctors, researchers found that many said they lacked the knowledge and skill to care for patients with disabilities. Even basic ...

    Hunger, Poor Diet More Likely for Women With Disabilities

    Researchers working to better understand the diets of younger women with disabilities found this group was more likely to report a poor diet and food insecurity.

    "Eating a nutritious diet is central to preventing many chronic diseases. For women of reproductive age, a healthy diet can also...

    Pandemic Lockdowns, Closures Tough on People With Disabilities

    When the early days of the pandemic prompted social distancing measures and gym closures, people with certain disabilities had a much harder time getting exercise and their mental health suffered, new research shows.

    Researchers studyi...

    Frail, But Living at Home: Program Helps Elderly Stay Strong

    It's never too late to start exercising -- and the right activities might help you stay independent in your home.

    While building healthy habits at an earlier age can have some long-term benefits, adding physical activity can help at all ages, new research suggests.

    A new study found that physically frail elderly people with low muscle mass (sarcopenia) were able to reduce their leve...

    Raising a Special Needs Child: An Expert Offers Guidance

    Parents of children with special needs face a number of challenges, so here's some advice from an expert.

    "Raising children is an adventure for any parent, but the journey for parents of children with special needs often has a few more twists...

    Pandemic Has Been Devastating to Mental Health of Disabled Americans

    Loneliness, isolation and fears about contracting COVID-19 have turned life upside down for people with disabilities, causing high levels of depression and anxiety, a new survey finds.

    Even before the pandemic, individuals with disabilities were more likely to experience social isolation than their

    Many Doctors Uninformed on Rights of Disabled Patients

    More than 30 years after passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), many doctors still don't know how to provide accessible care, a new study finds.

    "Despite the fact people with disabilities comprise 25% of the population, they often confront barriers to basic health care services such as physical examinations, weight measurement and effective communication with their...

    Highly Inbred, French Bulldogs Face Higher Odds for 20 Health Issues

    French Bulldogs are incredibly cute, sporting adorable snub snouts, big round heads, bright wide eyes and large bat ears.

    Unfortunately, the physical traits that make them one of the most popular breeds in the United States and United Kingdom also saddle them with a host of health problems, a new study shows.

    Frenchies have significantly higher odds than other dog breeds of being di...

    Many Seniors on Medicare Falling Into Medical Debt

    "Medicare For All" gets tossed around a lot by advocates of universal health coverage, but a new study finds that today's Medicare is far from free for seniors and people with disabilities.

    Instead, a large number of beneficiaries are sliding into medical debt and delaying needed health care due to financial holes in the system, according to findings published online Dec. 10 in

    Autism Now Diagnosed in 1 in Every 44 8-Year-Olds, CDC Says

    Autism may be more prevalent among American children than believed, a new U.S. government study shows.

    One in 44 children at age 8 in the United States have been diagnosed with the developmental disorder, a jump from the previous estimate of 1 in 54 children, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found.

    But a second study offered more heartening news: After look...

    Nearly 3 in 10 U.S. Adults Say They Have a Disability

    A growing number of American adults say they have a physical or mental disability, a new study finds.

    Of more than 400,000 adults who responded to a 2019 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, 27% reported a disability. That's a 1% increase since 2016, and represents about 67 million Americans, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University who analyzed the data.

    How 1.3 Million Americans Became Controlled by Conservatorships

    Pop singer Britney Spears was at the height of her fame in 2008 when, through a series of arcane legal maneuverings, her father gained conservatorship over her and took control of her personal and financial affairs.

    Spears' plight and the #FreeBritney movement has shone a bright spotlight on America's guardianship system, which experts say is shrouded in secrecy, ripe for abuse and in des...

    Robotics Bring the White Cane Into the 21st Century

    The "white cane" that many blind people rely on for navigating the world hasn't been upgraded in a century, but researchers are reporting progress on a "robo-cane" they hope will modernize the assistive device.

    The prototype cane is equipped with a color 3D camera, sensors and an "on-board" computer designed to guide the user to a desired location -- and avoid any obstacles along...

    Adults With Autism, Mental Illness May Be at Higher Risk for Severe COVID

    Adults with autism, intellectual disabilities or mental health disorders are at increased risk for COVID-19 and severe illness, researchers report.

    Being aware of the heightened risk is important in prioritizing COVID-19 prevention measures, such as vaccination, testing, masking and distancing for these groups, the researchers said.

    "These high-risk populations should be recognized ...

    Leaving Work to Care for Special Needs Child Takes Big Financial Toll

    Having a special needs child can mean medical emergencies and doctors' visits where parents have to take time off from work, and now a new study shows that can bring a bit financial hit to a family.

    Researchers analyzed U.S. government data from more than 14,000 families in that situation and found they lost an average of $18,000 a year in household income in 2016-2017.

    "We found a ...