Palm Harbor, Florida – Who is going to take care of my lovely 29 year old daughter? I provide most direct care. Here we are both getting air and swinging, we are getting through week 3 of Covid. The care she received from me while I have been sick with respiratory issues has been impeccable. My daughter fell asleep on my chest. I am 67 years of age. I just spent 21 months without a direct support worker to assist me because of fear of bringing Covid Into the home. There is not a big pool of caregivers to pull from. It’s been hard in the past few years prior to Covid to find people who stay and don’t use us as a stepping stone, or they cant wait to begin work after having to wait through the hiring process. They find another job during the time the paperwork to hire is being processed.
We need good support because my body is wearing down. I currently have frozen shoulder from my ongoing lifting of my quadriplegic daughter.
I bathe her, feed her , dress her. All activities of daily life and she is cognitively very aware of her surroundings . She deserves a good quality of life. I, her mom, can’t continue on this path for too much longer, because what happens when the mom isn’t here 24/7.
We truly need good quality direct support workers to help my daughter to continue to gain more independence. I have a great idea for where to get these persons but do not have the support to get it up and running .where would that time come from??? I am up till 2AM preparing for the next day. It will be a win win situation for all.