"home care don’t get paid for their travel time, and they should"
I have arthritis in my joints as well as MS. I was diagnosed in 2005 and the diagnosis took me by surprise. All I heard was “there’s no cure.”
All my life I’ve never played second fiddle to anyone. Being nice doesn’t get you anywhere. I was used to being on my own, could come and go as I pleased. Now someone has to get me up, shower me and put me to bed. I can’t do any of this without my worker. I have care seven days a week; the same girl 6 days a week – she’s a hard worker. There are some days when I can’t move my legs and I am completely dependent on her. If I fell I know that she could pick me up. I have someone else on Sunday.
I am aware that many girls in home care don’t get paid for their travel time, and they should.
When my worker can’t come, it’s very difficult for me. I hate being at the mercy of other people. If she didn’t come, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. When someone is late on a Sunday I call my home care agency. Sometimes they say, “We can’t get anybody to come till noon,” and I tell them to keep looking. I tell them that if I fall, I’ll sue. They don’t like that. There are not many people I can count on to come over on short notice and who can do the job.
I’ve been with the same girl for 5 years. She comes in the morning for an hour, gets me up, showers and dresses me. At night for half an hour, does my pericare, puts my pyjamas on me and tucks me into bed. Four days a week she comes three times a day and does physio with me. We have a routine; I’d hate to have to instruct a newby on what to do.
She has an attitude you wish everyone would have – she’s easy going and a hard worker. She takes her job seriously, but at the same time you can joke around with her. She is well suited to this job.