Bed Rest and Finances

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Bed rest can wreak havoc on a family’s finances. Here are some ideas to help you pull through this difficult time.

One of your first worries when told you must be on bed rest is how this will impact your financial well being. Even if you have short term disability through your employer, it often takes a couple of weeks to go into effect and benefits might not be paid at 100% of your salary and might be limited in duration.

If you are employed, talk to the human resources department at your place of employement and find out what benefits you are entitled to and what you must do to claim them. Keep copies of all paperwork and make notes whenever you speak to somebody about your case. Most employers will at least be required to hold your job for you for 12 weeks of unpaid leave according to the Family Medical Leave Act. If your employer does not fall under the scope of FMLA, check with your State’s unemployment office to see if you qualify for unemployment benefits.

You might be eligible for help through WIC, Food Stamps, TANF (temporary aid for needy families) or Medicaid. Don’t be embarrassed to apply and use these programs, they are meant for cases such as this. For information on eligibility and where to apply, see these websites:

• WIC
• Food Stamps
• TANF (this link takes you to a listing of contact information for each state’s TANF program)
• Medicaid

If you will have problems paying your bills, contact your creditors and explain your situation and ask if they can work with you. Most will be able to work out some sort of plan until you get back on your feet.

Try to find gently used items for the baby, rather than buy new. Newborns need very little for the first few months and don’t care if their equipment and clothes are hand me downs. It can be disappointing not to be able to go crazy shopping, especially if this is a first baby, but it can also be fun to see what treasures friends and family pass down to your new little one.

Search the internet for ideas to stretch your dollars. Here are a few good sites on frugal living:

• Wise Bread
• Frugal Village
• The Simple Dollar
• Credit Boards – this site can help if you need to deal with things like medical collections or other kinds of debt.

Remember, this situation is temporary and you will get through it. Take it one day at a time and try not to let the stress overwhelm your life.

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