Australian Ricky Buchanan has written a much-needed report about the issues facing bedbound and homebound people in getting access to medical care. She writes:
“If you are homebound/bedridden and you live in the community, then the healthcare system treats you as if you do not exist.
People who are homebound and/or bedridden have extensive and systemic problems with accessing the medical healthcare system, including access to GPs, medical professionals, hospital systems and allied health. If you don’t turn up you are assumed not to need or want the service.
This is not like access to public transport, where we have excellent anti-discrimination laws but the government keeps awarding exceptions the rules.
This is not like access to websites, where there are excellent guidelines about how to be accessible but people just don’t follow them.