Table 2.

Comments Concerning Knowledge and Barrier Issues

Stroke Knowledge

Example 1: “As for a heart attack, I can tell who is at high risk… I can’t tell with a stroke.” Example 2: “It’s very rare to hear about people who have a stroke… for me, anyway. I believe that it happens to many other people but I only hear about a few in my lifetime.”

Finances

Example 1: “I’m a little worried about [my] health because I haven’t had Medicaid for two years. I’m too young to get Medicare. I worry if I’m making the right choices in health care. Can I afford it? Will I be able to afford it? Will I lose my home if something happens? It makes me nervous. Nobody has really told me about the choices. I need to do research on the Internet and buy from a private health insurance company. I’m not sure if that’s the right choice.” Example 2: “Money. Fruits and vegetables cost more and it’s cheaper to buy junk food. There’s also the issue of insurance to consider.” Example 3: “Back then I didn’t know about food stamps, so when I got hungry I would smoke so I wouldn’t be hungry anymore.”

Stress

Example 1: “…Work is a lot of stress. I have a lot of stress. I worry about getting paid. I get paid under the table… I worry because if I get paid like with a real job and paychecks, my social security benefits would be cut. Social security is strict about their rules. I had to have a MRI to prove my health reasons for getting social security. I prefer to keep my work from them. It’s sad but the rules that they have are too strict. I would like to work but I get dizzy and it’s easy to get fired.”

Insurance Access

Example 1: “… Some companies such as Preferred Care [private health insurance] will provide coverage for going to the gym, but for those on Medicare, they don’t have this coverage. It’s not fair. The better insurance plans will cover the cost of the gym, while others don’t.” Example 2: “I just joined an exercise clinic for heart tuning. I’ve been going for six months. The doctor ordered me to after my heart operation. I made improvements and lost some weight but when I saw the bill, I was aghast. I still owe over a thousand dollars. I talked with them and was able to reduce the bill by half, but I still owe so much. I can’t pay for all of it. I have to keep paying for it for the rest of my life. I was disgruntled. I made the wrong medical choice.”

Communication Due to Lack of Interpreters

Example 1: “I see them [Weight Watchers] meeting and sometimes I wish I could join but it might be hard for me to communicate with them if I’m the only deaf one there.” Example 2: “I wouldn’t know who will get high blood pressure. A lot of people tell me I will get it. I don’t know if I will because I like to eat a lot of salt. One time, the doctor took my blood pressure and said it was a little high… He took my blood pressure and saw it was a little bit high so he pricked my finger and sent a blood test through the mail. It said that I didn’t have high blood pressure.”

Misinformation on Illicit Drugs, Medications and Anatomy

Example 1: “[Crack] affects you physically and mentally but I don’t think it affects the heart unless it’s an overdose.” Example 2: “I get injections every month to thin my blood [for my cardiac valve replacement]… When I moved here, I got a new doctor and now I get the medication every month up to nine months.” Example 3: “… They surgically removed half of his heart… Anyway, he still plays golf to this day with half of a heart.”