Health care delivery

Are local shutdowns effective, or should COVID-19 lockdowns be in lockstep provincewide?

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, and Education Minister Stephen Lecce, right, on July 30, 2020, before announcing the government’s plan for reopening schools in the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian Press, Nathan … READ MORE

Pandemic pushes parents of kids with special needs to breaking point

Lilian Ansari of Oakland with her husband Saied, daughter Atrina, 11, and son Ardalon, 15, on vacation before the pandemic. Life has become very stressful for the Ansaris since stay-at-home orders began and the children, who … READ MORE

Families, advocates of students with disabilities seek clarity in school reopening plans

Additional funding urged along with comprehensive plans and clear directives. Students with disabilities face extra complications heading back to school in a pandemic, including how to access support services, and parents say more … READ MORE

Why Indigenous communities seeing few cases of COVID-19

Indigenous communities have fared better than the rest of Canada in the first wave of the pandemic despite facing major challenges to infectious disease control. Canadian Medical Association Journal by Jolene Banning, Canadian Medical … READ MORE

Virtual care can make all the difference when treating the most vulnerable patients

Beyond the pandemic, we need to ensure virtual medicine remains a permanent fixture of health care system. A pediatrician takes part in a telemedicine call with a patient over a secure video connection. While it isn’t perfect, … READ MORE

U of A robot rehab project hopes pandemic increases user comfort with virtual health care

Increased video-conferencing may boost willingness to book virtual appointments. A demonstration at the University of Alberta rehabilitation robotics lab shows how a robot with a video screen allows a specialist to monitor patient … READ MORE

Veterans can now use an iPhone to pull up their health records

Apple has teamed up with Veteran Affairs (VA) to allow those who’ve served our country to now access their health records via iPhone. Health records access via Apple’s Health app has been available to iPhone users since the … READ MORE

PSW shortage stranding patients in hospital

Nearly 2 years after minor surgery, Maria Konopeskas just wants to get home. Maria Konopeskas was admitted to hospital for relatively minor surgery in November 2017. She’s still there. Jean Delisle CBC Laurie Fagan, CBC News … READ MORE

Child care after the pandemic should be more inclusive of children with disabilities

When child-care centres reopen, they should consider the needs of children with disabilities. Across Canada, some provinces have either opened or are looking at opening their child-care centres again following pandemic closures. But … READ MORE

Keep an eye on the numbers – COVID-19 in Alberta

As of March 30, there were 964 Albertans in hospital April 1, 2022 Alberta could see record COVID-19 hospitalizations within 14 days, early warning system projections suggest Jan 8, 2022. Omicron has completely changed the pandemic … READ MORE

Pandemic upends the lives of people with disabilities — and of their caregivers

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Stacy Ellingen, 34, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, lost two of the three caregivers she depends on to dress, shower, eat and use the bathroom. The caregivers — both University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh students … READ MORE

I’m scared: parents of children with disability struggle to get the basics during coronavirus

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all Australians, but there are very good reasons why the impact might be more keenly felt by people with disability and their carers. More than isolated: The experience of children and young … READ MORE

Do you have a right to protest? The coronavirus impact on freedom of assembly

A group gathers to protest against social isolation rules of the COVID-19 pandemic in Edmonton AB on April 29, 2020. The Canadian Press, Jason Franson Caroline Hodes, Associate Professor Constitutional Law, University of Lethbridge, … READ MORE

The military provides health care to its members, but not their families

Many health care providers are unaware that military families are divided in the way they access health care—that is to say, each family is divided. Caring for Military Families in the Patient’s Medical Home, PDF © The College of … READ MORE

What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta – May 2020 Archive

AHS phone line staffed by occupational therapists and physiotherapists. A new advice line set up to help Albertans with physical disabilities and injuries connect with rehabilitation advice during the pandemic is believed to be the … READ MORE

Cases of children with rare inflammatory syndrome spike in Italy and France

Doctors in France and northern Italy, one of the areas hardest hit by the new coronavirus, have reported spikes in cases of a rare inflammatory syndrome in young children that appears similar to one reported in the United States, … READ MORE

Calgary mother worries some disabled Albertans are being overlooked during pandemic

Alberta’s single site restriction doesn’t apply to health-care aides working in people’s homes. Laverne Bissky and her husband made the decision years ago to take care of their 24-year-old daughter Kasenya Bissky, … READ MORE

Kids with disabilities face health risks and marginalization under COVID-19

COVID-19 has been disruptive to all families, a McMaster University professor says, but the effects of school closures, medical equipment shortages and social distancing are further amplified for families of children with … READ MORE

Remote learning continues in NJ but students with disabilities still falling behind

Samantha Wagensommer has been helping to care for and teach her little brother, Dean, who is a special education high school student, since the coronavirus outbreak forced schools to move online. By Amanda Hoover, NJ Advance Media For … READ MORE

Disabled people marginalised by paperwork and programmes which aim to help them

Disabled people face being marginalised by the very programmes that are designed to help them. Research shows disabled people face being marginalized by the very programs that are designed to help them. Projects and welfare systems … READ MORE

In Canada, Albertans wary of ‘big brother’ with use of COVID-19 digital-tracing app

More users needed: Lessons from Alberta’s coronavirus contact tracing app. Alberta released its contact tracing app, ABTraceTogether, last week. But early uptake figures and a key design quirk show how challenging it will be for … READ MORE

Staff restrictions, lack of PPE endangering Albertans with disabilities

Help accessing personal protective equipment is on the way, says Alberta Health Services. ‘We feel forgotten’: Disability community overlooked during COVID-19, families say. Government of Alberta says its working with … READ MORE

What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta – April 2020 Archive

Beltline urges city to make walking ‘safe and comfortable’ with physical distancing. Beltline residents say walking with physical distancing at peak times is difficult. Helen Pike CBC CBC News Calgary April 30, 2020 ▽ … READ MORE

Malcolm Gladwell has no doubt science will lead us out of pandemic, but worries about ‘the human part’

COVID-19 could be ‘shock to the system’ that leads to social change: author. Author Malcom Gladwell says we don’t all have ‘the same stake’ in the pandemic, and it’s important we recognize the vulnerable … READ MORE

Injunction stops hundreds of young adults from losing benefits as they transition from care

Young mother challenged amendment set to take effect April 1. A.C. has been granted a court injunction delaying a change in legislation that would have lowered the age of eligibility for the SFAA program to 22. Trevor Wilson CBC … READ MORE

Home schooling during pandemic a daunting challenge for families of kids with disabilities

Schools need a closer connection to children with special needs during closures. The Richmond family, left to right: Hayley, Jake, Phil and Harry. Jake and Harry have a rare genetic condition with a variety of complex special needs. … READ MORE

Funding flexibility offered for Alberta children with special needs during COVID-19

Routine changes have been especially challenging for families of children with special needs. Angela Bladon said it’s been a struggle to provide the proper supports to her two special needs children since in-school classes were … READ MORE

What you need to know about COVID-19 in Alberta – March 2020 Archive

A man uses a hand sanitizer station at the Eaton Centre amid coronavirus fears spreading in Toronto on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Carlos Osorio, Canadian Press CBC News Calgary March 31, 2020 ▽ Table of Contents Keep an eye on the … READ MORE

It can be very taxing on families: New study reflects unmet needs of Canadian caregivers

1 in 4 Canadians provide care to a family member or friend – StatsCan report. Of those surveyed by Statistics Canada for a report released in January 2020, nearly 70 per cent of caregivers who had received some type of support … READ MORE

New smartphone app gives Albertans access to virtual health care during COVID-19 pandemic

Babylon mobile app allows you to check symptoms, consult with doctors. Using Babylon, an app developed by Telus Health, patients can have one-to-one video consultations with doctors, with the cost of those virtual visits covered by … READ MORE

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