I know it's been awhile since I included any updates here. It doesn't mean there's been nothing going on concerning the Attendant Care Program. The program is currently on hold. And at this time, the county, meaning Chuck Huckleberry, has announced that he will revisit the issue in July 2009, which is the next financial cycle. Beginning this week, I am apart of a Task force designed to work toward saving, revitalizing and optimizing what is left of the Program that Huckleberry has worked hard to shut down.
In recent months I have had to reorganize my home health care givers. As a result, I am no longer enrolled in the Attendant Care Program. Because the Program has been cut and is now on hold, I could not be matched with a new Attendant as they stopped hiring some time ago. Thus, I have been forced to receive my care from one of the agencies that I have been reluctant about. So far, I have been lucky and have two very good, reliable people coming into my home to care for my personal needs. I have head many horror stories to the contrary concerning other clients in the system, however.
My main concern, as it has been from the start, has been the availability of some sort of backup. I had that while in the system, but now I can no longer avail myself of that backup caregiver pool. All I know of most private agencies, as well as my own, is that in general the office staff is the available backup. Most do not keep a backup pool of people for emergencies. As someone who depends on reliable, skilled daily care, it does not make me feel safe. It feels more like private companies making do and cost cutting. We shall see.
As for the meeting his week, the first step will be to get a letter out there to make sure all of those involved know that we have not given up on the program. In addition to reestablishing the backup system, there is also the hope of making available once again the training programs once taught by the county for the use of private caregivers as well as county employees for better caring for those with physical needs.
It's a start, anyway. I will be making more posts here in the future. This is an issue important for not just people needing services but for the people who will need services someday in the future. Everyone needs to be taken care, eventually. All of us.
