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I'm getting paid to take care of my mom (which is why I can't pay anyone else to take care of her so I can have a break. If I do, I get taken off the program or so my case worker told me). I feel a bit guilty about getting paid to take care of my mom but I won't take money FROM my mom but I think it's ok to have assistance from the programs that are provided for a person to be taken care of at home.
They send me a statement every month with what my mom is supposed to give a "caregiver" for her part, based on her income from Social Security. If I weren't taking care of her and she was having to be having someone else coming into the house she'd have to pay almost $300.00 a month for her care to the provider. I absolutely WON'T take her money. But I do take the money from the program because it helps us getting more things for her we need (no one in the family will help us with her needs so it's very helpful for that too) AND it helps us pay our bills.
I had to quit the job I had when my mom had her surgery and became incapacitated. I really needed the money from the job I had and when they told me I could get paid to do this, I applied for it.
In doing this I have to be certified and have to have 30 hours of training in taking care of a person like my mom and 8 hour first aid certification too. They said it's state law in order to get paid to do it. I could do it for free but not for pay without the training to be an "individual care provider".
I was authorized to train at home with manuals so I don't have to go to classes however the 2 hour test I have to take next month, if I don't pass it, I have to go to in class training and do the 30 hours in class setting. I don't know how I would be able to do that because I can't get anyone to take care of her now so I can have a day out except my daughter and she's not always available.
But by my doing the work myself and not having someone else coming in to take care of my mom it saves her $300.00 a month and I think that's something good. She can barely afford the bills she has now to have to put that kind of money out for her care every month. That's on top of the prescriptions that aren't covered and the other things that aren't covered like OTC meds that she needs and her "personal" supplies and that kind of stuff. She barely has a dime left by the end of the month.
I just wish it weren't so hard to take care of her and getting into the position that I'd have to put her in a home. That upsets me a lot that it's coming to this because I really DON'T want to put her there but I just don't know how much longer I can do this before I CAN'T do it anymore. You know?
Rylee
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