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Claimant Testimonials
A claimant's success story in receiving excellent
disability administration is an important part of VPA's success. Here are two
examples:
We invite you to meet Carl Kentner of
Hendersonville, Tennessee, who has lived with two types of diabetes for the
past 10 years without, he admits, "giving the disease too much thought." But
when his blood sugar levels began to spin out of control, his doctor decided it
was time to put him on insulin. Unfortunately, beginning with the new treatment
was not easy for Kentner, who is now 63 years old.
"You wouldn't think there would be anything to
it, but I found out you've got a big surprise when you go on insulin. You've
got to change your eating habits really quickly," explains Kentner, a forklift
operator and truck driver for Pepsi Bottling Group ("PBG").
Even after beginning insulin treatment, Kentner's
blood sugar fluctuated wildly, and his primary care physician, an internist,
didn't think it was safe for him to remain on the job. Kentner operated heavy
machinery and could put himself and those around him in jeopardy.
Kentner didn't want to take time away from the
job that he had enjoyed for the past 20 years, but understood that his
condition was serious and possibly dangerous.
Kentner called VPA Inc., to say that he expected
to be absent from work for an indefinite period and needed to set up disability
payments.
As a result, he was assigned a nurse case manager
who arranged for Kentner to see an endocrinologist. She also sent him
information about the disease, the importance of eating properly, the need to
monitor blood glucose frequently, and a variety of other pointers to help
control the diabetes.
She called Kentner regularly to ensure that his
blood sugar levels were improving and also to see if he had any questions. With
help from the nurse and the endocrinologist, Kentner began to get his disease
under control.
After a three-month absence from work, Kentner
was able to return to his job on a part-time basis, putting in about 20 hours
per week. Soon thereafter, he stabilized his blood sugar levels. Today Kentner
is back at work as a full-time employee and says he is thrilled. He brings his
insulin and other medical supplies to work, and gives himself a shot every
morning after he eats breakfast in PBG's recreation room.
"I do the same job I did before I was out on
disability, and I don't have a bit of trouble," Kentner says. "In fact, I do my
job better now, because I feel better."
In another example, a 41-year old employee was
diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The employee had been steadily losing weight and the
medical condition was worsening.
VPA referred the patient to the HIV specialist
Case Manager. The Case Manager discovered that the individual was not receiving
medication that reduces muscle wasting and weight loss. Following a
consultation with the patient’s physicians, these drugs were added to his
regimen.
A Needs Assessment also identified that the
patient was unable to shop for groceries and was therefore not receiving proper
nutrition. The vocational expert at VPA offered access to an AIDS
helpline on the Internet and helped the employee to apply and receive Social
Security Disability Income benefits.
The vocational expert then contacted the
patient’s church and found out they provided a service to help shut-ins with
grocery shopping and meal preparation.
Finally, the patient was told about arranging for
EAP visits and consumer credit counseling to help the patient deal with
financial difficulties.
These outcomes are truly reflective of
our goals: to leverage the strengths of partners, address the needs of the
whole person, reduce excessive lost time, and intervene on disease conditions
as early as possible.
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