If Parkinson’s has diminished your performance at work, you should determine whether you have a permanent impairment that qualifies you to receive Social Security disability benefits.
Permanent Restrictions You May Experience with Parkinson’s
The signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease vary among the patients of the potentially disabling condition. The disease typically goes unnoticed until telltale signs of mental and physical distress begin to develop.
Violent tremors, severely impaired balance, and the inability to control movements are just three of the serious symptoms of Parkinson’s that can force your doctor to place permanent restrictions on you in the workplace.
For example, a healthcare worker who needs to have steady hands might find it impossible to continue working with Parkinson’s at a medical facility. A significant speech impediment can create communication issues between you and your professional peers.
Medications can mitigate the symptoms of Parkinson’s, such as loss of motor control and severe shaking of the arms and hands. Deep brain stimulations send electrical pulses into your brain, which can reduce the severity of your Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
Since there is not a cure for the disease, patients must rely on treatments to have a chance of getting at least some permanent restrictions in the workplace removed.
Work History and Job Skills
When you file a claim for Social Security disability benefits, a team of medical examiners from the Social Security Administration (SSA) reviews your medical evidence and reads written the statements issued by your manager.
The same team of medical examiners looks at your work history to determine your professional skillset. Although the SSA provides financial relief for applicants that suffer from a disabling condition, the agency’s primary goal is to get workers back on the job in some capacity.
The SSA goes as far back as 15 years to determine your professional skillset. You might have to complete a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment, which measures your ability to perform many of the responsibilities that are required by your current job.
A Parkinson’s patient might have to hold onto an object to determine how the arm and hand react. You might have to go through tests that measure your balance as well.
Can You Perform Sedentary Work?
If you work at a physically demanding job, Parkinson’s can rob you of your livelihood. However, this does not mean that you can perform sedentary work.
Severe loss of motor control makes it nearly impossible to hold onto a computer mouse and type on a keyboard. The type of sedentary work goes a long way towards determining if sitting for most of the day at work is the best job for you moving forward. Moreover, the severity of your symptoms determines whether you can work in an office environment.
Contact a Social Security Disability Attorney
Trying to receive financial assistance for those suffering from Parkinson’s disease requires the expertise of a Social Security attorney.
A lawyer can help you collect and organize the medical documents you need to present a convincing case. Your attorney can also recommend a physician to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Schedule a free case evaluation with a Social Security disability lawyer to learn more about permanent restrictions in the workplace.
Additional Resources
- Medical Criteria Needed to Qualify with Parkinson’s Disease
- April is Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month
- Is Parkinson's a Disability?
