 |
Cerebral palsy by itself is defined as a "group of permanent disorders associated with developmental brain injuries that occur during fetal development, birth, or shortly after birth. It is characterized by a disruption of motor skills, with symptoms such as spasticity, paralysis, or seizures." However, most of the time people with cerebral palsy also have a number of other conditions. Muscuoloskeletal problems due to the added stress that spasticity may put on the body are common. Vision and hearing impairments also can accompany cerebral palsy. Difficulty controlling the muscles of the mouth can cause talking impairments, drooling, and swallowing problems. The most common condition which is associated with cerebral palsy is seizure through epilepsy. All of these conditions are not part of cerebral palsy, but can be caused by it or be aggravated by it.
Since every person with cerebral palsy will have a unique mix of these other conditions (or none of them), the money spent treating and caring for somebody with cerebral palsy can vary greatly. Eye surgeries to correct vision, or the aid of a seeing eye dog can be quite expensive. Hearing aids can start at $600 for a conventional hearing aid and cost over $2,000 for a fully digital, compact hearing aid. The constant need to replace the batteries can add up over time to a large amount of money. Modifications made to one's house in the case of hearing or vision loss can be expensive but necessary to maintain one's health and safety.
Extensive and ongoing physical therapy may be needed by the person with cerebral palsy to help control drooling or to improve speech. Some people may find it impossible to speak clearly and quickly, and instead require electronic methods of communications. Computers can aid someone express themselves clearly to others through the use of text-to-speech software and voice digitizers. These systems are rarely cheap and can run thousands of dollars once the proper hardware and software are purchased and set up.
Medication to deal with some of the related conditions of cerebral palsy such as arthritis and other joint and muscle pain can also cause a budget to swell.
Since cerebral palsy stems from an injury to the brain, mental retardation is not an uncommon associated condition. Depending on the severity of the mental retardation a person may require extra classes and support or full 24 hour 'round the clock care. This can be an extreme financial burden to a family.
|
|
