This term was raised in a recent thread.   It certainly seems to apply to my Uncle's situation.

My Uncle is in his late early 70s and is playing the special accomodation card hard and has been for nearly a year.  His claim is that he can't feel anything below his waist and can't walk, etc......  He has my Aunt jumping through her ass backwards.  He is "non communicative" with his sons (3) and for the most part with my Aunt unless he is demanding something from her.

Long story short, my mom and dad did a road trip to visit with my Aunt and Uncle since my cousins asked my mom to visit to be there with her sister.

While they were there a number of things occurred that indicated that my Uncle is playing the "special accomodations" card hard and is pretty much full of shit.

He is supposedly dependent on oxygen 24/7 due to Pulmonary Fibrosis with 30% reduction in lung functionality.  He does not communicate with anyone other than to demand something.  He sites in a semicatatonic state most of the time but gets angry and very verbal if someone turns off or turns down the TV.  

So, during their visit my uncle was completely engaged and communicative with my dad.  He was fully cognizant, etc.... Until my Aunt walked in the room then he went into drool and catatonic state mode.   He engaged in extended animated conversations with my dad with zero loss of breath. The interesting thing is that his oxygen tube was disconnected from the oxygen generator with zero complaints from my Uncle. He had no oxygen for hours.  Odd considering he supposedly needs oxygen 24/7.  

During dinner one evening mom, dad my aunt and uncle were eating in the living room watching sports (my uncle is glued to the TV watching Golf for countless hours a day) when he dropped his fork.  Mom and my aunt had gone into the kitchen to get desert ready and my dad and uncle were talking.  When he dropped his fork my uncle removed his slippers, flipped the fork up with one foot and grasped the handle of the fork with his other foot then lifted it up to his hands and grabbed it.  Odd for someone who can't feel anything below his waist.  He would call for my aunt to make him a sandwich or come get his dirty dishes but if he wanted candy he would go get it himself.  Another thing that makes  you go Hmmmm?

He can't stand or walk but stands in the shower to bathe because "he doesn't like sitting in the old guy chair" in the shower. And... he can go get his candy but can't make himself a sandwich. Odd for someone who can't stand and walk..... 

While he was in the hospital he refused to eat, PT or to take his meds when my Aunt was not present but was engaged when she was there. Another exhibition of manipulative bullshit.

His docs indicated that if he would concent to a CAT scan they are confident that the can determine if there is a physiological cause to his "inability" to stand and walk. All tests of his muscles and nerves show zero problems with his legs.   He refuses the CAT scan for a plethera of "reasons". I expressed that it sounded to me that he was refusing the CAT scan because he does not want to be found out to be maniplating and full of shit.

My DW expressed that in her opinion it was highly indicative of manipulation.  After their visit my parents agree.

I visited them in July and saw behaviors that made me question the legitimacy of his "condition".

Sadly special accomodations are often just catering to bullshit.

More sadly, I think my uncle is pulling this shit. It breaks my heart that my aunt is catering to the shit.  Even my cousins think their father is putting one over on everyone.  His name sake has nothing to do with my Uncle.  The eldest two are less forceful in their comminication with my aunt and uncle but both think that their dad is playing games because he has no interest in leaving their home.  My youngest cousin has told both his mom and his dad that his mom did not sign up for being his father's maid and should actively engage in her tennis club and travel with her friends leaving his dad to take care of himself.

A tough situation for my aunt and cousins.