Friday 15 April 2016

Service (or not)



Is it too much to ask that a service provider put my child before their convenience?

Yesterday we finally had a meeting to discuss my daughter's services. They had been put on a 6 month "break" because her home aide was suddenly not working for them anymore. No explanation given, no transition, just a call that she was no longer working there, and that they had no on to replace her. Kitten spent weeks waiting by the door for her after school, crying, "My L---e. My L---e has disappeared!"

At that point, we should have went looking for a new service provider. But then my dad got the news that his cancer is back. Then, just before Christmas, my mother died suddenly of a heart attack. So I let it go. We were reeling with the news, making new plans to drive the 11 hour trip to be with my dad and I just couldn't deal with the paperwork. 

We have already made plans to visit Dad again this summer. Now they are telling us that if we don't start services with them now, they can't guarantee a worker for her in the fall. Plus, they want us to commit to a full summer of 3 hours a day with the worker for the bullshit "family centred" approach, which means I have to be present and involved for every session, and the therapists teach me to administer therapies to my child, essentially. 

Then they gave me their take on why they made us wait that six months, yet won't commit to providing services for Kitten now. They feel that I am not ready to commit to the process, and they don't want to put stress on ME. They keep talking about me being "ready" as if my daughter is just going to stay in stasis while she waits.

She is 5 now. She is going to be in kindergarten in the fall. She has almost no functional language, is not potty trained, is barely tolerant of parallel play with her peers, and is a risk for elopement because classrooms cannot be locked. How is she supposed to develop speech, life skills, safety awareness, social skills, if she can't get therapists because the provider wants to wait until I'M ready? 
No question, I hate the exclusively in-home therapy, family centred approach, but I will endure it for my child to get the help she needs. 

We will now look at a new service provider. Again.Time doesn't stop for us to catch our breath.  I'm still not happy, not optimistic about the prospects, still grieving for my mother, but Kitten can't wait. 

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