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WHEELIE cATHOLIC: Planes, trains and automobiles: shoveling out

In the UK, grit levels are “critically low as more snow heads in”. This is causing particular havoc for people with mobility problems due to physical disability, who are stuck in their homes. They’ve even started a hash tag on twitter called #disabilitysnow .

The interesting part about the Internet and the disability community is how it provides a way for people who live alone to reach out to each other when things like this happen. What may be an inconvenience for some non-disabled people, quickly turns into a situation where a disabled person becomes immobile.

ABC News: ‘Wellness’ Provision in Health Care Bill Meets Protest

Dozens of health, justice, and disability organizations have signed a letter urging senators to remove a provision in the health care reform bill that would allow insurers to provide reimbursements or incentives to workers who meet certain fitness goals laid out in workplace wellness programs.

In rewarding healthy people for making good choices, those who don’t meet fitness goals would be unfairly penalized, the groups said.

“It’s indistinguishable from medical underwriting,” Sue Nelson, vice president for federal advocacy of the American Heart Association (AHA).

HoustonPress: Houston’s Craziest [comment from meloukhia: “HOLY FRAKKIN’ FRIKKITY FRAK FRAK FRAK! HOW IS THIS LEGAL”]

Bailey is also one of Houston’s 30 craziest people.

That’s according to the Houston Police Department, because in February of this year, the department’s mental health unit put together a list of mentally ill people, the “chronic consumers,” based on how many times the cops have responded to a call concerning a person — regardless if an arrest was made — and how many times a person has been hospitalized under emergency detention orders from police.

New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission: Yuk-Fun Christina Port – deregistered for three years by the NSW Medical Tribunal [Full particulars at the Board site – PDF]

The Health Care Complaints Commission recently prosecuted a complaint against Ms Yuk-Fun Christina Port, an experienced general practitioner, before the NSW Medical Tribunal. The complaint concerned Ms Port inappropriately prescribing medication to a patient without the patient’s knowledge.

Over a four year period, Ms Port prescribed medication for the treatment of depression at the request of the patient’s wife. The wife then administered the medication to the patient in his coffee. Ms Port had not consulted with the patient, nor did she arrange for any monitoring of his condition or possible side effects. When she became aware that the wife had not informed the patient that the medication was prescribed for him, she did not take any steps to ensure that patient was aware that he was being given medication and consented to his treatment.

The Guardian: Care homes forcing elderly to have feeding tubes fitted

The report found that many care homes across the country are making it a condition of residence that people, often in the advanced stages of dementia, have a tube fitted into their abdomen.[…]

All trusts and care homes should ensure there are enough staff to help those with difficulties take longer to eat, especially at meal times. “People in the later stages of dementia have complex end-of-life needs and it is vital that the use of artificial nutrition or hydration not be used in place of good quality care tailored to their specific needs,” said Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society […]

Washington Country News: Dog helps stabilize autistic boy’s life, but Hillsboro school says not in the classroom

Eric and Wendy Givens know Madison, a trained autism service dog, can calm their son; they’ve seen the German shepherd do so at malls, in parking lots, at restaurants. But the Hillsboro School District won’t allow the dog in school, saying Scooter is doing well without the shepherd. […]

Disability Rights Oregon attorney Joel Greenberg equated the situation to a person who is blind being told he does fine with a cane even though a trained guide dog is more effective. “Essentially, the school district is saying, ‘we get to pick the tool,'” he said.