Delirium and Getting Social Security Disability
Can you get Social Security Disability for delirium? You are probably asking this question because you have a loved one who has this syndrome, and it and/or complications resulting from this condition or the underlying cause of it have caused your loved one to be disabled, unable to work and in need of financial assistance.
If should be pointed out that delirium, itself, is not a disease. Delirium is a sign or symptom of an underlying disease or difficulty that has occurred in your loved ones mind. In many instances, delirium may be the main indicator of some kind of mental or brain dysfunction.
Neuropsychiatric syndrome
Medically speaking, delirium is a common and severe neuropsychiatric syndrome that is marked by attentional deficits, acute onset and fluctuating course and generalized severe disorganization of behavior. Delirium typically includes perceptual deficits, cognitive deficits, psychotic features such as delusion and hallucinations, altered sleep-wake cycle and changes in arousal (hypoactive, hyperactive, or mixed).
Delirium is thought to be the single most common acute condition that adults are afflicted with in general hospitals. This is evidenced by the fact that 10-20% of all hospitalized adults, 30-40% of elderly hospitalized patients and as much as 80% of all ICU patients are affected by delirium.
Delirium usually develops suddenly, occurring many times within hours or days. The syndrome can continue for a period of a few hours to several weeks or months.
There are several things that can cause delirium. These include:
Poisons
Sedative drug or alcohol withdrawal
Surgery
Drug abuse
Electrolyte or other body disturbances
Infections, such as pneumonia or urinary tract infections (more likely in people who are already experiencing brain damage from dementia or stroke).
Delirium is not the same as dementia. They have similar signs and symptoms, but they are different.
Delirium may involve several different signs and symptoms. Some of these are:
Inability to stop speech patterns or behaviors
Changes in perception and sensation (feeling)
Confusion regarding time or place (disorientation)
Movements triggered by changes in the nervous system
Drowsiness and changes in sleep patterns
Changes in movement, such as being inactive or moving slowly
Speech that does not make sense (incoherent)
Apathy
Anger
Depression
Euphoria
Anxiety
Irritability
Decrease in short-term memory and recall
Difficulty concentrating
Changes in level of consciousness or awareness
Inability to behave or think with purpose
Changes in alertness, being more alert in the morning and less alert at night.
Again, your loved one may be suffering from delirium. Delirium and/or complications resulting from it or the underlying cause of the syndrome may be the reason why your loved one is disabled, unable to work and in need of financial assistance.
Have you applied for that financial assistance on behalf of your loved one by applying for Social Security Disability from the Social Security Administration? Was your loved one denied?
Important fact
If you plan on reapplying or appealing your loved ones denial, remember this important fact. People who are represented by a disability attorney like the one at disabilitycasereview.com, are approved more often than people without an attorney.
The wise thing to do is to contact the disability attorney at disabilitycasereview.com, and have your loved ones case evaluated at no cost or obligation to you.
Article written by James Shugart
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