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Half a million disabled people living in New Zealand households need more care or support in at least one important area of daily life, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
The 2023 Household Disability Survey (HDS) found that 62 percent of disabled people (506,000) had at least one unmet need.
“Unmet need refers to situations where a person doesn’t have something they need in the way of support, reasonable accommodations, medical care, home modifications, or equipment,” social and community spokesperson Nicolette Edgar said.
‘Reasonable accommodations’ are changes needed for disabled people to participate on an equal basis and to exercise their human rights.
Respiratory physician Lutz Beckert considers chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management, including the prevention of COPD, the importance of smoking cessation and pulmonary rehabilitation, and the lifesaving potential of addressing treatable traits. He also discusses the logic of inhaler therapy, moving from single therapy to dual and triple therapy when indicated, as well as other aspects of management
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