Hi there,
My adult son, who has been ill for over five years, was recently told he needs to be re-evaluated to continue to receive SSI benefits. He is not med compliant, and the idea of going to the doctor terrifies him. Has anyone else gone thru this, and how did you overcome the difficulty of getting your loved one to attend the evaluation?
Thanks,
Loving Mom
if he isn’t stable on meds it might help prove how out of it he is, but I think they intend on the clients being stable when they come in. I was half stable when I had my appt. and the doctor immediately gave me SSDI. never had to appeal so I don’t know really how to go about doing that.
I’m guessing you will either need his Doctor’s notes/reports to verify or him see a psychiatrist at the evaluation. However if you can’t get him to the evaluation… Good question.
Someone in this Facebook group may be able to assist (Parents of Kids with Schizophrenia): Parents of Kids with Schizophrenia | Facebook
The SS Dr’s are just looking to see if he has improved enough to (return to work, or get a job if not working) stop benefits.
If you tell your son in a matter of fact way that he has to attend this meeting with a pdoc, and not givivng him an option of not going, his anxiety will go through the roof, and quite frankly, it might just be what you both need, in order to continue the benefits.
It would show the pdoc just how bad it gets, and that is what you both need.
Sounds cruel to put him through this, but it is what’s best if you need the benefits.
They just want to see/witness if his condition is bad enough to prevent him from getting work.
Yes, I have been to one of these SS Dr’s, and I was so anxious it must have made me sound pretty nutty, because I remember telling him that yes, I thought I would like to back to work when he asked if I could (return to work)… but I must have shut down from all the questions asked and spaced out staring out the window. Never been asked to go in again, but did just recieve my 3rd written review/reevaluation in Aug?Sep? of this year.
All 3 times I ended up losing the forms to return for over 2 months, one of them was never found. They were wrinkled up, written in different colored pens (they kept running out of ink) and even a big fat crayon (only wrtting utensil left).
They just want to make sure your son hasn’t improved enough to not need the benefits, The goal of SS is to rehabilitate people enough to return to work, they wern’t intended to replace work indefinately, but do so only if needed.
Most people won’t volunteer the fact that they could return to when they are getting paid not to work, so the have the burdon of proving you no longer need the benefits.
Get him into the Dr’s appointment. It won’t kill him, but it sure will help him.
I guess you are already going to sit in on the re-evaluation if they allow it. I know those meetings used to go a lot easier when I had a parent there for support. As recently as two years ago my sister came with me to the Social Security office when I had to clear up an important matter with them. And I’m 53.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate your insight and experience.
my son had his case manager help him out.
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