ObjectivesMusculoskeletal diseases are not a leading cause of death but one of the common causes of disability and therefore play an important role in the global burden of diseases producing financial costs, need for hospitalization, treatment, rehabilitation, and hiring numerous medical personnel and caregivers. Patients who obtain a moderate or severe disability certificate may more easily find a job, have shorter working hours, apply for reduced tax, parking cards, co-financing of rehabilitation or renovation of the bathroom in order to adapt it to their disability. The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of people obtaining a disability certificate due to diseases of the locomotor system in Lublin within the last 16 years.Material and methodsThe authors asked the Municipal Disability Adjudication Council in Lublin to provide data on the number of disability certificates issued in the years 2006–2021.ResultsIn the years 2006–2021 the Municipal Disability Adjudication Council in Lublin issued 76,581 disability certificates. The most common was the moderate degree of disability (36,458 certificates). The most common reason for being diagnosed with disability was diseases of the locomotor system. In the years 2006–2013, 41% of people obtaining disability certificates because of bone and joint diseases were in the 41–50 age group. From 2014, people over 60 years predominated. Of these, 57% were women. The majority of them had a secondary education. As many as 74% were unemployed, while only 36% were employed.ConclusionsMusculoskeletal diseases are a leading reason for issuing disability certificates in Lublin within the last 16 years. The certificates most often let patients obtain parking cards, facilitate the search for employment and enable them to apply for tax reductions.

Nursing Homes (NHs) are institutions of social assistance run by local governments or non-government organizations. Their purpose is to provide individuals with basic services. On March 20, 2020, the Regulation of the Minister of Health issued the declaration of the COVID-19 epidemic in Poland. The introduction of legal regulations allowed the authorities to take actions to prevent infections at NHs. The aim of the study was to analyze the COVID-19 – related problems encountered by nursing homes in Poland and the steps undertaken to prevent disease spread in the first phase of the epidemic. The survey was conducted with use of an original questionnaire e-mailed to 532 NHs throughout Poland in May 2020. Results were analysed by way of the IBM SPSS Statistics program. A total of 89 completed questionnaires were received from: 40 NHs organized by local government (44.9%), 24 run by churches (27.0%), 13 established by non-governmental organizations (14.6%) and 12 operating privately (13.5%). Among them, 78 NHs had less than 100 employees (87.6%) and 11 had more than 100 employees (12.4%), while 68 had up to 100 inhabitants (76.4%) and 21 had more than 100 inhabitants (23.6%). All NHs had problems with recruiting and retaining enough nursing staff. The most commonly used method of COVID-19 spread prevention at NHs in the first phase of the pandemic was establishing an increased sanitary regime, monitoring of temperature of residents and staff members and preparing isolation rooms. The greatest problem was personnel shortages.

Introduction. Adjudication of disability in Poland is carried out by independent institutions, operating within the framework of various judicial systems and on the basis of different legal regulations. In 2017, an inter-ministerial team was appointed whose task was to develop a coherent and modern system of adjudicating on disability and inability to work. Aim. The aim of the study was to obtain the opinion of the management of Disability Adjudication Boards in Poland whether there is a need to reform the certification of disability. Material and methods. The research questionnaire was sent to 294 boards. In total 66 responses were obtained, which is 23.5% of the invitations. Results. Over 65% of respondents indicate the need for reform, while 28.8% believe that the reform is unnecessary. The weaknesses of the current system include the inability to recruit appropriate doctors and specialists – 90.9%, insufficient financing of teams – 81.8% and staff shortages among full-time employees – 57.6%. Fewer respondents indicate unclear criteria for assessing disability – 47% and poor preparation of assessments – 21.2%. The strengths of the system are dominated by organizational factors: employee preparation – 77.3%, organizational stability of the system – 59.1% and locating teams in the local government structure – 51.5%. The following factors can be considered as substantive: stability of regulations – 39.4% and quality of jurisprudence – 34.8%. Conclusions. Majority of the respondents see the need for the reform of adjudication on disability. The greatest problems of disability adjudication boards in Poland are: difficulty in specialists’ recruitment and insufficient financing.

Disability is an interdisciplinary-medical, social and professional phenomenon. The goal of medical professionals is to treat a person and restore his or her fitness. The group of disabled people in Poland is characterized by a lower level of education than among non-disabled people and high unemployment. The purpose of vocational rehabilitation is to make it easier for a disabled person to obtain and maintain appropriate employment and career advancement. Social rehabilitation is defined as an activity aimed at enabling a disabled person to fully participate in social life. The tasks of the local government addressed to disabled people include conducting occupational therapy workshops (WTZ), occupational activity establishments (ZAZ), community self-help homes (ŚDS) and social welfare homes (DPS). The aim of the study was to analyze the implementation of self-government tasks in the field of social and vocational rehabilitation of disabled people, with particular emphasis on ZAZ in the Lubelskie Voivodeship in 2008-2017. The work uses data collected in 2008-2017 by the Regional Center for Social Policy (ROPS) in Lublin. In addition, in December 2017, they were sent by e-mail to ROPS and Marshal’s Offices in voivodship cities in Poland, inquiries about tasks and ways of implementing these tasks in the field of social and vocational rehabilitation of disabled people in 2008-2017. The available data on expenditure from the State Fund for Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRON) was collected. The research material was statistically developed using the IBM SPSS Statistics (v. 25) and Statistica (v. 13) statistical packages. In the years 2008-2017 in the Lubelskie Voivodeship, PLN 75,529,959 was allocated for vocational and social rehabilitation of people with disabilities, the most (PLN 9,158,243) in 2016. In the same year, the largest number of people used the ZAZ. In 2008-2017, the average annual amount of expenditure on social and vocational rehabilitation of disabled people in all Polish provinces was PLN 7 576 718.9. In the discussed period, the highest amounts from PFRON were allocated to the rehabilitation of disabled people in the Śląskie Voivodeship, and the lowest in Lubuskie, while Lubelskie received average amounts. In Poland, in the field of social and vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled people, solutions similar to those already developed are applied in the countries of Western Europe. The costs of financing vocational rehabilitation, understood as financing the functioning of the ZAZ by voivodship self-governments, are constantly growing. The growing expenses incurred on the activities of the ZAZ do not significantly improve the situation related to vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled people. Improving the operation of the system of vocational and social rehabilitation of people with disabilities should not only consist in increasing the funds spent under the current inefficient system, but should be preceded by a thorough analysis of the current state and the development of extensive organizational changes.

Children need to play outdoors. It is a natural tendency for young children to put everything in their mouths. Hygienic condition of playgrounds is important for maintaining their health. Companion animals (dogs and cats) as well as wild animals can transmit parasites that cause zoonoses in humans. Such infections often affects children playing in sandpits and playgrounds. Sand samples taken from specific locations (sandboxes, playgrounds) can be tested for the presence of parasite eggs specific to humans and animals (Ascaris, Toxocara, Trichuris). They cause ascariasis, toxocarosis, trichurosis. Invasive eggs of the parasites due to the very thick, multi-layered egg shells are very resistant to the influence of climatic factors and to chemicals present in the environment. The only way to get rid of parasite eggs from locations where they endanger human health is to remove the top layer of sand or soil or completely replace the sand. However, this is a laborious and costly procedure. The aim of the project was to examine samples from selected playgrounds in Lublin (Polnad) in terms of the presence of Ascaris, Toxocara, and Trichuris eggs. Thirty five samples of sand and soil obtained from 7 playgrounds in Lublin were obtained in May 2022 and tested for the presence of Ascaris, Toxocara, and Trichuris eggs with flotation method. In none of the examined samples the parasite eggs were found. The tested playgrounds in Lublin are hygienic and safe from eggs of Ascaris, Toxocara, and Trichuris.