Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1956-08-22
BY JOHN II. FRANK. n
Director, Horny County
Welfare Department

| III SoAAKN -. EA<A3NNs -
Director, Horny County
Welfare Department
Slightly more than ten per-
cent Of the persons receiving
public assistance in Horny Coun-
ty are totally disabled
These are divided into two
groups: those who are tempo
rarily disabled (33 persons) and
those who are permanently dis
abled (l21 persons). Hopefully.
through medical care, the 3S
Temporarily disabled persons
will be restored to productive
usefulness, either at home or
outside employment.
Your director thought il
would be both helpful and int
eresting to study the larger
group. and this was done on
August 6 and Z.
Before giving my findings,
however, l would like to explain
how a PERSONS degree of disab-
ility is determined.
This determination has three
phases: a complete physical ex-
Elimination by a fully qualified,
Registered physician; social
evaluation of the individuals
capacities, health record and
work history; and a review of
these combined findings by a
special state team consisting OF
"a medical doctor and a medical
social worker. II rehabilitation
is thought advisable, the local
case worker discusses this with
the client and makes arrange
mentS for consultation with {
Rehabilitation worker.
RI OF ll8 cases studied, il was
!. found that these persons were
originally diagnosed by % ply
iSicianS in Horny County anc
lI.ownS adjacent TO Horny County
, sixteen doctors examined l pat
lien. each: 3 examined 2 each
10 examined each: l examined
Is: examined 9: | examined 10
i examined II: | examined l6
I ! examined 10: and one eXamin.
led 10.
OF the ll8 persons examined
, were white persons and AZ
we're Negro: 50 were men anc
50. women. There were "a white
males and 81 white females: 80
Negro males and "a Negro fc-
males.
! Disabling conditions vary con-
| Gcrably, with the largest con-
.,ntration in diseases of the
.rvouS system and of the cir.
@,.tory system. especially o.
20 heart and arteries. Majo
. .ll.tiCs were as follows:
ma. deficiency or imbal.
| .,n-l8
| C0T~onita! dcformity-8
Accidental injury Of perman-
u; natures
Nervous diSorder-6
| HypCrtcnSion-6
! C0rculatory AiImcnt or Dis
l.lrl Ailmcnt or Discasc-18
IH.tism and Arthritis-l6
.t and Dumb
....3,.-ia--O
'.-.y-f
ry disease
Gr..urc Aging-l
..i Disease
.- Lar Dys:rophy-2
. N,phrtIS-l
DiabetcS-2
| In many of the above cases il
is difficult to determine which
is the disabling condition. for
many persons have combina-
. i'm ol disabilities. Also. marr
: the ucmiplegia cases are the
sui. OF earlier accidents. parti-
.cular!y involving head injury or
/ PiHaI injury. Since hcmiplcgia
Heads the list, it would be inter-
sting to explore further and
.i.,oycr the causa'ivc factors
Perhaps the observance of safe
! " rules at home. in the handl-
/ ng of infants. on the highway
/ md on the farm. would rcdu,r
he frequency Of paralytIc cases
The high rate of heart all
.u-ni continues to be a national
/ problem, and research Is speed
ling progress in the area OF dis
.nycring cauSativc factors. pre-
-Cutivo measures and new tech
.uiQuCS in surgery.
/ rheumatism and arthr.tis con-
tiuuc to plague many. and ir
spite of new drugs, a cure is
still lacking.
In the area Of mental dCfici-
Cncy. We are concerned with q
rr,l41g,,, ,rJ;gI - ,.,.;,, .,,.;1 {,