Published on: July 9, 2015
If you or one of your loved ones has ever had a stroke, you know just how unpredictable the condition is. Depending on a number of factors, you might only have minor, treatable symptoms, or you might end up permanently hindered by the occurrence. It’s so unpredictable, in fact, that there’s a three-month deferral on all Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claims for stroke because there’s no good way to know what damage has been done and what a person will and won’t be able to do. With that said, it’s good to know that getting SSDI is possible for those who have had a stroke and meet certain conditions.
What is a Stroke?
A stroke is, fundamentally, a sudden lack of blood flow to the brain. There are two major types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is pretty common, as it involves the blockage of an artery in the brain, either by way of a clot forming in a very narrow passageway (known as a thrombotic stroke) or from a piece of a clot breaking off, finding its way to the brain, and blocking a passageway (known as an embolic stroke, or an embolism). Hemorrhagic strokes are when a blood vessel bursts in the brain. Both of these can lead to certain parts of the brain not receiving the blood they need to work effectively.
The symptoms are fairly easy to detect if you know what you’re looking for: a sudden headache, often very severe, that worsens when you shift around or cough. You may also notice a sudden change in mood, alertness, or ability to perform actions of any kind. It’s important to get to the hospital quickly, as catching it in time can prevent disabling damage. Some of the disabling damage that strokes can cause includes permanent loss of mobility, muscle spasms, loss of feeling, and so forth.
Disability Requirements
To receive disability, the condition must be beyond a certain level of damage. As per the SSA Blue Book, you must have either the inability to communicate effectively (either by way of speaking or other forms of communication) or the inability to effectively move two of your limbs to perform working actions or to stand. These conditions must be present three months after the stroke or the SSA will defer the consideration of your condition until after that period. This is because, as has been explained before, the condition is not necessarily permanently debilitating. Sudden or graudal recovery is possible;so SSA defers the decision generally for at least 3 months.
Stokes can also cause secondary effects that could cause you to qualify for disability. If you lose your vision due to a stroke, you may qualify because of that. However, this is still under the three-month waiting period because your condition may improve. The blindness that you might experience because of stroke is called hemianopia, or loss of sight in half of each eye’s vision, though with brain injuries anything can happen. Loss of mental clarity and even physical problems can result from the issues outlined here, so be sure to know what’s going on with your body, especially after the three-month period.
And remember, finally, that stroke is not the end of the world for anyone. People have lived and will continue to live perfectly wonderful lives afterwards. We certainly hope that if you’ve had a stroke, you continue to improve and that you won’t be permanently disabled from working and moving—the transition and loss of skills can be an intolerable burden to deal with and adjust to, so we hope you do recover. There are plenty of different qualifications and issues in getting SSDI, so it’s a good idea to clarify what you can and can’t do. If you do think that you qualify, however, speak to a professional. It’s worth it to know for sure whether you qualify or not. Don’t let a stroke keep you down!
