Many Transverse Myelitis patients with disabilities are unaware of
The Disability Tax Credit offered by both The
Federal and
Quebec government.
Many Transverse Myelitis patients with disabilities cannot perform
certain daily tasks and must pay for individuals and special equipment
to aide with these tasks. There are also costs incurred by the need for
special equipment and installations in the home that are required to
help manage day to day living. This is why the Disability Tax Credit is
offered by the Government to help defray these costs.
The disability tax credit can represent up to a maximum of $1,400.00
when filing income taxes depending on the person’s financial situation.
A Transverse Myelitis patient can still be approved for the disability
tax credit even if they have been refused a disability pension and this
approval is based on the level of difficulty experienced in day to day
functions such as: walking, dressing, feeding, vision problems, hearing,
bowel and/or bladder problems. Difficulty with any one of these can
qualify a Transverse Myelitis patient for the Disability Tax Credit.
This tax credit; once accepted is permanent and the benefactor never
has to apply again. It is theirs for life. A retroactive request for
the Disability Tax Credit can go back as far as ten taxation years.
The individual must have their doctor complete the government form
which takes about 10 minutes and there is a questionnaire for the
patient to complete as well describing the nature of the disability and
level of difficulty in which certain tasks are performed. It is a
relatively simple procedure and many Transverse Myelitis patients may
not realize that they are eligible for this benefit.
https://www.marchofdimes.ca/en-ca/programs/am/hvmp/Pages/Other-Home-Vehicle-Programs.aspx
CORD is Canada’s national network for organizations representing all
those with rare disorders. CORD provides a strong common voice to
advocate for health policy and a healthcare system that works for those
with rare disorders. CORD works with governments, researchers,
clinicians and industry to promote research, diagnosis, treatment and
services for all rare disorders in Canada.
https://www.raredisorders.ca/about-cord/
A registered disability savings plan (RDSP) is a savings plan to help
parents and others save for the long-term financial security of a person
who is eligible for the disability tax credit (
disability amount).
Contributions to an RDSP are not tax deductible and can be made until
the end of the year in which the beneficiary turns 59. Contributions
that are withdrawn are not included in income for the beneficiary when
they are paid out of an RDSP. However, the Canada disability savings
grant, the Canada disability savings bond, and investment income earned
in the plan are included in the beneficiary’s income for tax purposes
when they are paid out of the RDSP.
For full details please visit: Canada Revenue Agency Website
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/rdsp-reei/menu-eng.html
Resources, Tips and Guidance on Living and Eating Healthy
Your dietary requirement will vary depending on the level that your
spinal cord is affected, but you can benefit greatly from understanding
what you should be eating to avoid obesity and other health issues such
as diabetes and cardiovascular disease that are becoming more common in
people with spinal cord injury.
To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet
as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic
change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you
will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.
We have gathered some information and links to help you learn more
about maintaining a healthy weight and how to get the proper nutrition
to lead a healthy life.
Canada’s Food Guide
Canada’s downloadable and printable Food Guide is an excellent source
of information. This food guide may answers questions that you
regarding a balanced diet such as: How many daily servings of certain
foods should I be eating depending on my age and gender? What are these
food groups?
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/order-commander/index-eng.php
You also have the option of creating a
custom made food guide. Take
a few minutes to enter some information (your age, gender, and select
the lists of each food groups already provided to you, the list of
physical activities that you like best) and then you can print and follow your own personal guide-it’s as simple as that
http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
You can take Canada’s Food Guide One Step Further with added tips and
details for specific groups such as: 1) Children at different stages 2)
Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women 3) Men and Women over the Age of 50
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/choose-choix/advice-conseil/index-eng.php
Would you like to have the food guide broken down for you with tips
on how to do grocery shopping, save on your grocery bills or more
extensive guidance on what to look for within each food group?
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/using-utiliser/shopping-epicerie-eng.php
Nutrition Labels
Are you confused with how to read nutrition labels and how to make
educated choices on what you choose to eat and buy? Would you like some
tips on how to compare nutrition labels for the same food item? Do you
know the difference between a nutritional claim and a health claim? This
link wil aloow you to use nutritional facts, the ingredients list,
nutrition and health claims to make informed food choices.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/educat/info-nutri-label-etiquet-eng.php
Are you aware of what your daily caloric intake should be?
You want to be careful and stay within your daily caloric
requirements for your physical activity, especially if you’re trying to
lose weight or to maintain your current weight. The link below has a
calorie chart for all ages and activity levels that may be useful in
determining how many calories a day you should be eating to maintain a
healthy weight.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/basics-base/1_1_1-eng.php
One of the most important choices that you can make to maintain a
healthy weight is your portions sizes at meal. Most people have a
tendency to eat portions that are bigger than they should and this leads
to weight gain. To better understand portion size, portion distortion
and to find helpful hints to measuring your portions look here:
http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Nutrition-Labelling/Understanding-Portion-Sizes#.UxX_rD9dWE4
Smartphone applications to help manage
what and h
ow you eat, and weight loss
My FitnessPal App (iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android)
This is a diet and exercise-tracking app that has obvious appeal to
the general population, but might be especially useful to TM patients
whose mobility is limited and for whom weight management can be
especially problematic.
Just download the app (it’s
free on various platforms,
including iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android) and you’re ready to go.
Enter your e-mail address, whether you want to gain/maintain/lose
weight and how much, your activity level, gender and birthday, height
and weight, and choose a user name. Now you’re setup!
The app is easy to use and walks you through its various options at
first. Throughout your day, you can input the food you eat and your
exercise, if any. It’s easy to do; just search a keyword and a number of
options will pop up. The calorie content and usual portions of most
foods are searchable. Enter whatever you just ate for your meal or
snack. Just remember to be honest about portion size otherwise you’re
cheating yourself! You can also scan in your food item if there is a bar
code on the outside of the container.
There’s also an option to add your friends who also use the app and share your progress.
Weight Watchers (iPhone,iPad, Android)
Getting started is easy. You enter your starting weight, your goal
weight and even your measurements if you want to. You then select the
day you want to track your weight. The app will work out your daily
points allowance based on what you enter each day after you tell it what
you have consumed, helping you stick to your plan.
Week by week a chart shows you your weight loss (or gain) and it
congratulates you-sometimes a little positive feedback goes a long way
This app also features more than 30,000 foods as well as a variety of
restaurants, so finding a particular food isn’t a challenge.
Eating for a healthy neurological system
The brain and nervous system are probably the most complex and
sensitive physiological structures in the human body. The importance of a
healthy diet in the maintenance of these structures should not be
underestimated.
A well-balanced diet is important for a healthy nervous system, but
some nutrients are more necessary than others. Vitamin B6, B12 and
folate are particularly essential for nerve health. Vitamin B6 is needed
for proper brain functioning. A deficiency can lead to depression,
trouble learning,
memory loss and
numbness. Vitamin B12 helps with the growth of the nervous system and
the protection of nerves. It is possible that this vitamin may help to
prevent some neurological diseases. Folate is also linked with healthy
nerve function and a lack of this nutrient may lead to irritability,
insomnia and depression.
Essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3’s, make up part of nerve
cells. A variety of amino acids are needed for the development and
support of the nervous system. Eating a variety of protein and fat
sources, including seafood, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains, is
the way to get plenty of essential fatty acids and amino acids in your
diet for a healthy nervous system.
To find a list of foods with the essential nutrients for your neurological system look here:
http://livewell.jillianmichaels.com/healthy-food-nervous-system-5495.html
Tips for Eating When Dining Out
How can you work around restaurant meals both in what it is you can
order and in your portions? Click here for some useful tips on how to
work around this for healthy consumption of foods.
http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/healthy-eating-saine-alimentation/eating-out-manger-exterieur-eng.php
Have you ever noticed that many meals are heavier in salt content
when eating out? Find some tips on how to avoid this here. This
includes foods to avoid versus the healthy alternative to order for
North American, Chinese, Indian, Italian and Thai food!
http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/sodium/eating_out-restaurant-eng.php
Looking for Healthy Recipe Ideas?
There are tons of places to find healthy recipes but this is a good place to start.
http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/healthy-eating-saine-alimentation/index-eng.php#a2
Finding a dietician in Canada
Consulting a professional for advice on how to eat and to maintain or
lose weight is never a bad idea. To find a dietician in your area or to
get some useful tips on nutrition, contact the Dieticians of Canada.
http://www.dietitians.ca/