Disabled seems to have some new meaning!

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I am amazed at how many young, seemingly healthy 20somethings come in with medicare for insurance, since they have SSDI-completely disabled. From what I've seen with my friends and family, getting approved for disability is about as likely as winning the lottery on the way to pick up your Nobel Prize. Any tips? My bones are killing me. I can barely walk to my car after a 12hr shift. My personal med list is longer than any patient I've taken care of in the last year. What is the magic that gets these people approved? I'm not criticizing them, I'm envious. At the rate I'm going, my only hope it to end up in a permanently vegetative state long enough to draw my pension. Even then, I bet the government will declare my decomposing as proof that I am capability of gainful employment-as a flower pot.

Specializes in pediatrics; PICU; NICU.
Companion animals for emotional stability. That is their service. No joke.

Thanks for the info. I didn't know there were actual service cats. As I said, the only service my cats would bother with is whatever they want to do!

Come to think of it, though, I had a fever & chills earlier today & one of my cats (who loves to snuggle) got in bed and up against my back to keep me warm. When she felt me stop shivering, she got down. I think she would have been a good nurse!

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I'm sorry, but we can't help what we see.

When someone on public assistance is wearing brand new $100+ sneakers that my husband and I, both full time workers, couldn't afford to buy, and talking on a blinged-out latest-model iPhone, THAT'S WRONG. When someone pulls her EBT card out of a Coach purse, again, WRONG. If you want all that expensive stuff, you should have to work for it. Yes, we are obligated as human beings to provide food, shelter, clothing, etc. to those with fewer resources. We are not required to provide luxury, though. While I realize those people are not the majority and that most on whatever type of assistance have genuine need, I also despise those who are abusing the system.

You can walk and chew gum at the same time.

You sound more jealous than concerned.

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Wonder if forced unemployment can count as forced poverty because poverty it is!

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It is his business to find out if she was using someone else's placard. He did t ask why she had the placard, just was verifying that it was her placard. That hardly rises to the level of harassment.

Sorry but I respectfully disagree. As long as the placard was properly placed on the car as it should be he had no right going up and asking her if she was the disabled one. He only did it because she didn't look disabled and I consider that harassment. I'm sure an attorney would too.,

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Sorry but I respectfully disagree. As long as the placard was properly placed on the car as it should be he had no right going up and asking her if she was the disabled one. He only did it because she didn't look disabled and I consider that harassment. I'm sure an attorney would too.,

I'm not sure why you are -- or where the original poster is -- but I'm going to have to disagree with you. When I went to the MVA to get my temporary disability placard, I was also given a wallet ID card. In my city, disability placards are a high value item and cars are regularly broken into so that the placards can be stolen and fenced. If the police questioned my use of the placard, I was to show them the ID. Anyone who has a legitimate right to a placard should not be hesitant to prove it. That cop was absolutely within his rights to question her as to whether that was her placard, and doing so may have made it more difficult for someone to steal and fence a placard.

And since when did it become OK to threaten attorneys as a first response?

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Specializes in hospice.
Sorry but I respectfully disagree. As long as the placard was properly placed on the car as it should be he had no right going up and asking her if she was the disabled one. He only did it because she didn't look disabled and I consider that harassment. I'm sure an attorney would too.,

Attitudes like this are why police have such a hard job. Not only do they have worry about criminals, but also the technically law-abiding with crappy attitudes. :mad:

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Service cats will:

1. Clean your aquarium-ditto, your birdcage.

2. Water & fertilize your plants.

3. Sort your trash.

4. Rearrange your pillows, throw rugs, etc.

5. Function as a "green" electric blanket.

Seriously, I've never heard of "service" cats but what another poster wrote sounds logical-maybe people raise them to be calm & quiet to be a companion to an elderly or disabled person.

The nursing home my stepdad was in had 2 cats that rode around on a cart to visit the residents. They "lived" in the library. I would have never believed cats would stay on a cart like that but these did. Also, one of the floors had its own resident kitty.

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I'm not sure why you are -- or where the original poster is -- but I'm going to have to disagree with you. When I went to the MVA to get my temporary disability placard, I was also given a wallet ID card. In my city, disability placards are a high value item and cars are regularly broken into so that the placards can be stolen and fenced. If the police questioned my use of the placard, I was to show them the ID. Anyone who has a legitimate right to a placard should not be hesitant to prove it. That cop was absolutely within his rights to question her as to whether that was her placard, and doing so may have made it more difficult for someone to steal and fence a placard.

And since when did it become OK to threaten attorneys as a first response?

I shared this story as an example of how looks can be deceiving and how we make assumptions based soley on someone's appearance. I guess I never really thought about whether the police officer was wrong in questioning me. The way I look at it, I wasn't doing anything unlawful or trying to hide anything, so I didn't really care that he stopped me and asked. It was nothing I felt I needed to get upset about. Honestly, like I mentioned in the original post, I knew what he was thinking before he said anything because I knew how others perceived me...as a young, healthy-appearing person.

Now, if he would have taken up a half-hour of my time and grilled me with questions about my health condition, that would be a different story.

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This thread has really caused me to rethink my position on some issues. I feel horrible that so many of my sister-nurses who posted on here are disabled in one way or another. What I know for sure is I will not complain as readily about how tired I am, how my back hurts, etc. after a shift because I know some of you would gladly be tired after that shift. Also am thankful for my fat legs that can walk a distance from a parking space, even if it's in a downpour or freakingly cold.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I shared this story as an example of how looks can be deceiving and how we make assumptions based soley on someone's appearance. I guess I never really thought about whether the police officer was wrong in questioning me. The way I look at it, I wasn't doing anything unlawful or trying to hide anything, so I didn't really care that he stopped me and asked. It was nothing I felt I needed to get upset about. Honestly, like I mentioned in the original post, I knew what he was thinking before he said anything because I knew how others perceived me...as a young, healthy-appearing person.

Now, if he would have taken up a half-hour of my time and grilled me with questions about my health condition, that would be a different story.

I too have been approached and I didn't mind...now my wheelchair makes it pretty clear.
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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
This thread has really caused me to rethink my position on some issues. I feel horrible that so many of my sister-nurses who posted on here are disabled in one way or another. What I know for sure is I will not complain as readily about how tired I am, how my back hurts, etc. after a shift because I know some of you would gladly be tired after that shift. Also am thankful for my fat legs that can walk a distance from a parking space, even if it's in a downpour or freakingly cold.
You have no idea what I would give to work.
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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
You have no idea what I would give to work.

​Amen, sister.

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