Please be advised the office will be closed from July 27th to July 31st inclusive.  Inquiries will be returned upon the office opening on August 4, 2020.  I hope all of you reading this will also be taking some time away to enjoy our short summers. 

I have been advised that WCB is operating at 50% staffing levels.  There will be longer than usual delay in decisions being made on issues.  I ask that each client be patient given these unprecedented times and allow the WCB some flexibility.  Of course, Ability Management Solutions will ensure constant follow-up on issues as per usual and will ensure the delay is no longer than a couple weeks.

Some important information to note is the following:

Benefit Payments
I would encourage each of my clients who are not setup on direct billing to do so immediately.  Please contact me and I can provide you with the form to complete.  Given the circumstances around COVID-19, it is uncertain if Canada Post will stop mail delivery.  

It is also imperative that those that are receiving payments whether it be wage loss benefits, allowance payments, etc that they follow-up with the WCB contact centre to ensure the payment has been requested in the system.  Alternatively, you can install the myWCB app by downloading on the App Store or Google Play.  This app will allow you to monitor your payments to ensure you receive them timely.  If you do not see a request being made for your payment approximately 3 days before the payment is released, please call the WCB contact centre at 780-498-3999 and they will ensure the Case Manager or alternate releases your payment on an urgent basis.

Millard Health
Millard Health Centre has postponed all services with the exception of clinical assessments. 

Safety Precautions to Follow
Please DO NOT attend any WCB programs, sponsored programs, treatment etc if you have:

• Fever, cough, or difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
• travelled to any area infected with the COVID-19 virus
• Been in close contact with someone who recently travelled or has the COVID-19 virus or similar symptoms

If you do have any of the above, you must do the following:

• Call the place you were scheduled to attend and advise of your reason for cancelling/postponing the appointment
• Call the WCB Contact Centre at 780-498-3999 and/or your Case Manager to advise you will not be attending, and state your reason
• Call 811 (HealthLink) or go online to https://myhealth.alberta.ca/journey/covid-19/Pages/COVID-Self-Assessment.aspx and you can do a self-assessment using their symptom checker tool

For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and how it is affecting the WCB and the Injured Worker, please refer to their website https://www.wcb.ab.ca/.

If you have any further questions, please contact me at anytime.

Stay safe and healthy.  Together will get through this.
​

 or I recently took a course on Chronic and Episodic Health Conditions and how to accommodate workers suffering with these conditions in the workplace.  I realized that most people would assume these conditions are non-work related conditions.  While for the most part they are, there are some that can be brought on as a result of a work-related injury.  But first let's explore some basic information.

What is Chronic and Episodic Health Condition?
Chronic is typically characterized as being persistent and long-lasting. 
Episodic is long term illnesses and disabilities that are intermittent and often unpredictable. E.g an individual may be very ill at one point and may be totally without symptoms or much improved at another
Chronic and episodic conditions are often discussed together because many episodic conditions are also chronic.

Some very common chronic and/or episodic conditions that I deal with advocating for injured workers are the following:

• Anxiety 
• Arthritis (Typically post surgery)
• Cancer 
• Chronic Pain (Most common condition after a work-related injury)
• Depression
• Fibromyalgia
• PTSD

One of the greatest take aways from this course, is that when assisting someone with a chronic and/or episodic health condition one needs to look at the disability as affecting three key areas: biological (underlying medical reason and effects), psychological (perception of pain, emotions such as fear), and social (external environment such as economic factors, acceptance in the workplace and outside, cultural factors, etc).  While the condition may be physical, it affects all 3 areas and vice versa if the condition is psychological it also affects biological and social aspects.  This is very important to consider when returning a worker back to work and ensuring supports are in place at the workplace to address all three areas. 

Ability Management Solutions will not only ensure these conditions get accepted on your claim but will also ensure WCB is accountable to ensure the Employer has the supports in place for a safe and successful return to work.

If you or someone you know was or is affected by a workplace injury and has been diagnosed with a chronic and/or episodic condition and is unsure whether it can be work-related or secondary to the work-related injury, please contact us for a free telephone consultation.