CAREGIVING: I remember back when Kathy was getting help from the VNA and health aides from the two agencies, I joked that “The cavalry had arrived.” I was worried about parking logistics during the winter. Should I finally get a snow blower? Should I park my car at the neighbor’s house? At the beginning, we had two nursing visits a week by Brooke. Melissa came twice a week to help give Kathy a shower. Lynn came to do physical therapy twice a week. Su came on Wednesday’s to help and cook Chinese food and Dilcia would come on Thursday afternoons to help me clean and stay on track. Today Dilcia came, but everyone else is either gone or can’t get it together enough to come. But progress is in the air.
The VNA ended treatment services. I am imaging the insurance company or Medicare did that. The agency that sent Su and Ashley, can’t seem to keep any aides happy working for them. Health aides don’t get paid for their driving time – all the way to Hampden – to work an hour and a half. By the time they buy their own gasoline they are pretty pissed off at their employer. (Never at us.) But apparently they have hired a new girl who starts Monday. Hopefully Kathy will get some stability for at least a few weeks or so. And even Dilcia is thinking about cutting back. She has the one main job so to take care of Kathy she works on her day off from the other job. She has to do what she has to do, and she has been steady for a good while. She might also switch to Saturday which would actually be perfect for me.
Greater Springfield Senior Services called back a day or so ago. I had asked about getting more help with Kathy, now that the VNA wasn’t collecting from the insurance company. Jennifer was looking through Kathy’s file on her computer. She was saying, “I’m probably due to come out and visit again…..” Then she realized we had dropped off her schedule completely. Apparently it was the computer’s fault. I’ve had days like that too (today). She is coming on Monday afternoon to talk about everything. Honestly when she was here, in September, we didn’t have a wheelchair and Kathy could walk. We didn’t have a stairlift, although I had just moved the bedroom downstairs. It was right after that time that her walking became really difficult. Time flies. So we’ll see what happens. GSSSI is a real asset to our area. Jennifer helped us get Kathy on MassHealth through the Frail Elder Waiver program. Otherwise I would be toast. Well I am toast, anyway. 🙂
While Dilcia was here, I asked her to help me organize Kathy’s clothes. Stuff is piled up on shelves in the antique school wardrobe we used to use for our stereo. At first she looked at me puzzled, “You want me to help you get organized?” Then she went into a funny routine imitating her sister or cousin nagging her about her clothes and her messy closet. But she did a great job. We got rid of stuff Kathy can’t wear and moved some of her extra coats upstairs. she put a lot of the clothes on hangers that should have been on hangers all along.
In between all of this I was trying to get documentation that says, “Yes, Kathy still needs her transport wheelchair.” Apparently the insurance company stopped paying the medical supply company. They want a recent evaluation from a physical therapist saying she still needs it. I called the VNA and they said they would send what they have. But first, I would have to request it in writing from the VNA because of HIPAA rules. So, I dashed off a letter “Please blah, blah send it to yadda, yadda.” Printed it out and tried to fax it to the VNA. And I tried again to fax it to the VNA. I let it auto redial too. It wouldn’t go through. I’m always breaking into a sweat when I have to send a fax from my multi-purpose copy-print-scan-shredder machine. I just do it so seldom that I have to stop and think. I don’t have time to “stop and think”. I even called the VNA and they said their fax machine was fine. Meanwhile Kathy starts to stress when she can’t see what I am doing even though I tell her I am going upstairs. (Note to self: Self, Check that fax machine is plugged in to a phone line. It works better that way. )
MUSIC: This is a song about getting help – not from a social service organization – but help none the less. Please help me help the UConn Huntington’s Program by downloading a song or two from Loudr.fm. or on iTunes. Thanks for all your support.
This song was an out take for my CD Love on the Line recorded at Signature Sounds back in the 90s. My intention was always to have some of my female folk friends do background vocals on it. Jeff Pevar plays slide guitar, Chris Hayes does the accordion and Richard Downs plays Tuba.