Looking to find a personal care attendant? It can be a tedious task, especially finding someone that fits your personality and can meet your needs. The search for a personal care attendant is a long process but it is well worth the wait as the results show you where you have progressed.
To begin the process, you can start with picking a person through an agency. I am not very knowledgeable in this process, although I’ve heard stories. All I can say is that choosing a personal care attendant through an agency is an option available to you.
if an agency is not your thing, there’s CDS, or consumer directed services. This program is an incentive paid program for your family and friends. They can help you with your everyday needs through the CDS program and get paid for it. The pay can vary from state to state, so you would have to check your local area to find out what that would be. If CDS sounds like a viable option, the first step is to find friends or family that are willing to come in and help you with things that you need assistance with. This can be feeding you, helping you bathe or get dressed, and any other daily living activities.
The second step is that whoever these people are, they should always be comfortable helping you with these tasks, whatever they are. They should be comfortable doing these tasks for you or with you, depending on your abilities. Once you’ve laid the groundwork for this, there’s also the option of checking into the CDS program and asking or a contact list. This contact list includes people that are already hired in with the program. That way, if your family or friend assisting you is unable to help for a certain day of the week or whatever, a list can be provided to you, and you can find other people through CDS that may help fulfill your medical and quality of life needs.
The process of obtaining a personal care attendant through CDS is also a long process and it can definitely take you out of your comfort zone, having to call strangers and talk to them about your health care needs. Sometimes, you will look and find somebody that will match you perfectly. Other times, you may encounter people that are not comfortable helping you with your specific situation. More than likely, you won’t find the right person on the first try.
If you are doing an interview with a personal care attendant from CDS, a face-to-face conversation is good to have and is probably better than over the phone. You can talk to them about different situations or scenarios they may have to help you with and ask them about experiences they’ve had in the past. You can see how their experiences relate to your needs. Try to make the conversation as comfortable as possible and be up front about what is expected. Make sure they are comfortable with all the tasks they may need to do. If all goes well, you might find a couple of people to help you out, and you can schedule time shifts to make everyone comfortable in their responsibilities.
Whatever route you decide to take, understand that it may take a while to find someone that best suits you, but when you find the right personal care attendant, it is well worth the wait.
About Jesse Cuellar: Jesse is an artist and a brand ambassador for Quantum Rehab®. An accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, so he uses his mouth to paint and expresses himself through his art. Jesse lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and enjoys painting and hanging out with his friends. Click here to learn more about Jesse.