Quote:
Originally Posted by TwistedChief
Horrible and really underappreciated by the "it's just the flu" crowd.
What are some of the most common long covid symptons you're observing?
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Much like Covid itself, the long haul after effects vary from individual to individual; what is common, however, is the impact it is having on people's lives. To qualify for physical disability waiver services (at least in KS) you must meet the following criteria:
Be at least 16 years of age, and no older than 64 years;
Be determined disabled by the Social Security Administration;
Need assistance to perform activities of daily living;
Meet the Medicaid nursing facility threshold score;
Individuals who have been determined eligible for the Intellectual/Developmental Disability Waiver (I/DD) ARE NOT eligible for the Physical Disability waiver;
Be financially eligible for Medicaid.
I've highlighted the two big criteria. In other words, the effects of long haul Covid are severe enough that you require assistance to perform activities of daily living (ALDs). ADLs are the everyday tasks an individual performs. They include:
Dressing
Eating
Toileting
Bathing
Grooming
Mobility
What is alarming is that we are seeing people who were either asymptomatic or had what would be considered mild cases of Covid-19 develop long haul effects. So you may get over Covid and think you are fine, but then months later find out that you can't do the same basic tasks that you used to be able to do. In fact, the people who are showing up in the system now, have severe enough disability that they qualify for nursing home care...and that is where a lot of young folks are winding up because there is no capacity in the Home and Community Based Service system to support them.
This is incredibly bad for a multitude of reasons: For one, it costs over twice as much to support a person in a nursing home than it does in the community--so as a taxpayer, you lose. Secondly, as I think we all know, nursing homes (and any congregate setting) are vectors of transmission for Covid, so the likelihood catching Covid again skyrockets--which could exacerbate your already debilitating condition. Thirdly, forcing someone into a nursing home so that they get the support and services they need is, quite frankly, illegal due to the Supreme Court Olmstead decision.