Lately, the time spent on the program has been greater than at any time since the very beginning.
Replacing staff as they leave is time-consuming. I have been lucky to have such stability for so long in such a transient area, but now that one of the support staff are leaving, it is necessary to go through all of the steps of filling that position. So, time is spent creating an ad, checking responses to the ad, sorting through resumes, setting up and conducting interviews, calling references, completing background checks and getting all the new employee paperwork completed, and then conducting training for the new employee. I found one new employee and may have another as well, to split up weekend hours. There is the anxiety of not knowing if it will work out well, in spite of all the due diligence, until they are actually in the job and doing it.
The second occupational therapist was here for her evaluation last week. I didn't feel sure it was a good match and then the agency that sent her here tried to hike the fees for services waaay up, even though the budget had been stated in our first phone call. They are asking for fees so far out of line with other OT's that I have spoken to that I am turned off of working with the agency at all. I will keep looking until I find the right person for the job, however long that takes.
I have been researching the trike options for V for Special Olympics, but finally decided to buy the most basic trike to get started and evaluate whether she needs a better one after this season when I know if she likes cycling and will continue to do it. So, the trike has been ordered and will be ready for pick up by the end of the week. We will try to get practice in at home, first, and then join the others for practice at the park.
I think that the time I have to spend on her program will settle down to normal in August. New staff will be trained and in place. The new psychiatrist and primary care doctor will have been seen for the first time, and V's dental cleaning and whatever additional dental care is needed will be completed at the hospital for this year. I will still need to find a new adapted PE/Aquatics instructor and a new OT, but I have faith it will happen in time.
Since V can not ask to phone her extended family or former teachers to say hi and keep those relationships going, I have created a Facebook page for her, and I update it frequently so that those people can feel involved in her life, see her photos and know what she is doing. Many of her extended family live too far away to visit, and this is one way to keep everyone informed. Now, even her 2nd cousins in Texas can feel as if they know her, even though they have never met. V can use all the family and friends she can get.
I think that the amount of work it takes to create and maintain a self-directed program depends on how involved you make it, and it increases, decreases, and increases again. If I hired a support broker, there would be a lot less work for me, but also less money in the budget and less control over the outcome and timing of everything. Those are the choices that must be made. It is manageable now, even when it is more time-consuming than it was 3 months ago. Anytime a staff person or vendor leaves and must be replaced, it will be this way, or if a new activity is added on like SO cycling.
