I spend many hours in front of the computer and in the past noticed my neck cramping up and wrist getting strained. These are some of the beginning signs of ergonomic injuries. They are related to an individual’s interaction with a task, including all physical aspects of performing the work. Here are some other signs to look out for:
Symptoms of non-ergonomic workstations/ work habits:
My research with SSI has led me to finding information about benefits for people with a disability, specifically SSI disability.
How to qualify:
Must have worked jobs covered by social security long enough and recently.
you earn credits based on your total yearly wages or self-employment income and credits change from year to year. In 2008, for every $1050 of your wage or income, you one credit.
Last month, I published this Medicare blog because of the research I have been doing for my parents. Similarly, I started delving into understanding Supplemental Security Income. Here are some general facts that I found:
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Low income AND
be 65 or older OR
be partially or totally blind OR
have a medical condition that keeps you from working and is expected to last at least one year or result in death
A couple years ago, my mom was diagnosed with Osteoporosis, a debilitating disease where bones become fragile and easy to break. Just recently after she took a bone density scan, we found that it had gotten much worse than expected. This was hard for the family, but especially for my mom. Although there are no cures at this time, there are medications that can be taken to slow down the disease and make the existing bones stronger. My mom has been in contact with various physicians as to the best treatment option and I as well have been trying to understand osteoporosis. Here are some information and resources that I gathered.
Recently, I have been doing more research on medical insurances and in particular Medicare. As I was assisting my parents and grandmother with this process, we have to come to realize that it can be quite daunting. This is a general overview of information summarized from Medicare Webpage as well as additional resources that have helped my family and I navigate through this process.
Before any drastic changes to your lifestyle, one must consider a gradual course of action. I know for me, I tend to get discouraged quickly. It is much more manageable for me to make little changes. Although the improvement will be gradual, the long-term effect will be significant.
Substitute water for soda
I didn’t realize how much sugar and calories are in a soda. Of course, I like soda and would want it, but now I think about how filling and disgusting it makes me feel afterwards. You can also tell that soda has a lot of sugar when you let it sit for a while. Once the bubble is gone, it is extremely sugary.
Inspired by recent events and holidays, here’s a list of traditional Japanese remedies that I have learned about from my parents and my own experience. These are not a safe proof way, but mere suggestions.
ume (Japanese plum) and risotto
tiny bit of the ume and risotto are said to do the trick. This has been passed down in my family, as well as the rest of the Japanese community.
water to keep hydrated
dehydration is one of the consequences of drinking too much so it is important to rehydrate your body.
2 years ago, both my parents were diagnosed with pre-diabetes. My dad was actually the closest to being diagnosed with type 2. The doctor had caught it just in time (blood glucose level was one point off from being diabetes). Both my parents were able to make changes in their lifestyle. The choice of foods changed from sweet deserts to no sugar added foods, fried foods to boiled foods and less food intake overall. My parents said that the beginning was very difficult. I also witnessed several times when my mom’s blood sugar dropped dramatically, so thereafter, she kept fruits or candy. It was a huge change for my parents and I. Although they now have their health under control, diabetes is still a concern in their lives. They still get annual check ups and have to watch their diet. I am watching my diet and my lifestyle as well.
Recently, I saw on CBS evening news about weight gain being related to the friends around you. Statistically from the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers wrote that:
A person’s chances of becoming obese increase by 57%, if he or she had a friend who became obese in a given interval.
Among pairs of adult siblings, if one sibling became obese, the chance that the other would become obese increased by 40%.
If one spouse became obese, the likelihood that the other spouse would become obese increased by 37%.
One of the elements that stuck with me was the part where he had addressed inequities with medical care. He states, “We [Bill and Melinda Gates] had just assumed that if millions of children were dying every day and they could be saved, the world would make it a priority to discover and deliver medicines to save them. But it did not….How could the world let these children die? The answer is simple and harsh. The market did not reward saving the lives of these children, and governments don’t subsidize.”
