Hiring attendants is admittedly one huge challenge for me. It can honestly take months and months to find ”a good one.” It’s damn scary. I worry a lot about “What if someone leaves, gets sick, etc., and I can’t find that next “good one.” Frustratingly the Gov. funding I get to pay my attendants is far below what someone with disability insurance can pay, which makes hiring even more difficult.
So, is it worth it – all the stress, worry, sleepless nights of tossing and turning, and fearing the worst? In a word and without one split second of hesitation…… YESSSSSS!!!! And here’s why:
The amazing women that I do end up having the immense honour to hire are incredible and the following is only one example of why I become so outraged when on occasion people (usually Gov. Bureaucrats) talk of how I can simply hire other attendants as if I’m changing my flippin’ underwear.
This “example” happened Thursday morning:
As pretty typical, I as Kris to go to Tim’s for me. When she opened my wallet her first words were: “Uuhh… Where’s your debit card?”
My instant and only reaction was just to laugh and say aloud “ok….. Who has it this time?” I KNOW each of my attendants are completely trustworthy. I know I never have to worry about any one of them taking advantage of my trust. (Mine you, I only keep a little in that account at a time. That’s only wise, for my own budgeting as well.)
As I was about to text my attendant from the night before, I received this text: “Hey lady! I have your bank card. Frig. I’ll bring it tomorrow morning with me, sorry about that.”
That’s just flippin’ awesome! I truly love and immensely value having staff that I know I trust absolutely.
Have I ever had any staff who I was suspicious of? In June, I had a “petty cash change purse” with about $75 in it, and very oddly a pair of scissors vanish, shortly after I hired a new person. Curiously though, she texted to say that she was quitting after the next week’s schedule. When I got the text, I replaced all her future shifts with my other attendants. In retrospect, right from when I interviewed her, in my gut, I didn’t trust her. My other attendants, God love them. The were so upset and downright horrified on my behalf. Each one of them helped me search high and low – in every nook and cranny, but nope, it was gone. Still, I am so immensely blessed to sooner or later have the right person to apply for this crazy job of assisting me in living my life on my terms. I am truly grateful to each of them – past, present and future.
