As California residents age, their brain and body undergo changes, and becoming forgetful is also one of the aspects that comes along with age. However, there is a difference between simply forgetting where one’s keys are and not remembering what happened a couple of minutes ago. Therefore, memory loss can be the result of a brain injury, central nervous system infections or a trauma resulting from an injury. Whether it is short-term memory loss or long-term, it has the ability of severely impacting one’s life.
When someone is unable to remember what happened a few minutes or even a few seconds ago, they can be said to be suffering from short-term memory loss. People suffering from this condition can remember events that took place years ago, such as from their childhood. Long-term memory loss patients on the other hand, cannot remember things that took place years ago, but can retain recent memories. However, forgetting things is often not the only symptom of memory loss-it includes confusion, getting lost in familiar places, misplacing items, forgetting how to use common items and trouble following directions.
As one can imagine, this can make working difficult. Not only would they endanger their own lives, but also the lives of everyone else in the workplace. This is why memory loss is one of the conditions for which people can receive Social Security Disability benefits. However, to qualify, an applicant must show they suffer from either hallucination, disorientation, abrupt change in mood or personality, memory impairment and a loss in IQ of 15 or more points. Since the condition is subjective and varies from person to person, medical documentation is very important to prove one’s condition. This includes a summary of hospital visits, doctor’s notes detailing the condition and any medical evaluations and results related to memory loss.
Dealing with a medical condition is difficult enough-having to prove it just adds to the burden. Those feeling overwhelmed by the process may want to consider consulting an experienced attorney to help them make their case.