Few notes from work ... I think our computer is going to be down for a bit
Good morning … this is me. We still have no computer at home. It is about 9:50 am … we just finished up preparing for a staffing. We got an extra hour which was real nice. I spent most of the first hour poking around, but then it gave me better calmness when I was preparing for the staffing. It didn’t seem as rushed as normal. I’m confident that the information we have going into the staffing is complete and thorough. The meeting is supposed to be in 8 minutes … both confirmed this week, so now it’s a matter of time. One will get here before another … and that’s about all there is to it. I really enjoy these meetings after I get prepared. We are getting better too and not having other staff and Sr. Theresa present. It allows us more control of the meeting without as much pressure.I wish I could tell you why these meetings aren’t the easiest things in the world. Maybe its because I wait so long to prepare. I think that’s some of it and the other is just that even though most parents are real nice, you just don’t know what is going to happen. I know the clients fairly well, though I have to brush up on where they are at in their learning of specific skills. This morning … Theresa walked in and said she wouldn’t be at the meeting and still within a few moments, we had all the information we needed from her, especially on setting up some goals. I don’t think I am as profound with goals as I used to be – especially, with some of the staff that is having a harder time.
Cathy is still coming in looking for the formal goals for her clients. God bless her. I wish I wouldn’t put her out as much as is happening. Doing that work is again on the schedule, it’s just a matter of follow through. So far today I’m doing pretty good. I wore the dress from my grandmother’s funeral which is very loose, but it ties in the back tighter and we’re wearing the white sweater we got with it. It’s also big, but we think we’re looking pretty beautiful for the day – so all things are set to go forward … Hehehe ok, don’t go around telling everyone how vain we are. Just another calming technique.
Well … we just got the call that our client’s mother is here, so we better schedaddle. It’s 1 minute to 10 so she’s just on time … we’re going to want to be as well.
Later.
WooHOO!!! This is me! We’re back dears! The staffing is over!!! Oh man is that sweet! It was a very good meeting. The CSO person didn’t contribute anything, but she was nice just the same. Hmm, she did volunteer stuff at the beginning of the meeting. I forgot. I heard that the mother was having problem because her daughter wanted to go out all the time and she was too tired and is now taking care of her mother whose husband died just a month ago. So the first idea was for her to get respite care from the state so she could get some time on her own. It’s only like 300 hours a year, but that is 5-6 hours a week. That’s good stuff to get some time on your own. The mother can get someone she knows to be paid for taking her daughter out. That be very nice for a couple someones. The CSO person is going to look into that, but in the meantime, we came up with the idea of getting her daughter involved in the Park program.
The Chicago Park system is great. They have time for people with developmental disabilities between 2-8 pm every week night and between 9-5 pm on Saturdays. They do all kinds of cool stuff for very little money. It only costs $20 for 3 months. They even have Special Olympics, parties galore, and swimming. It’s some pretty cool stuff. I was happy how enthusiastic both the parent and the daughter were. I think if they can make it happen it will be a very good idea. The mother has to be at work by 6 am every day, but the public transportation could bring the daughter to the center every day as usual and then she can be picked up at the end of our day which is 2 pm and a good time to start the next program. Public transportation goes two ways, so the mother would have to pick up the daughter at the park, but it is local and very close by. That would give her time to get home from work, take care of her mother, make dinner and then pick up the daughter. The daughter will be much happier for having been out and about physically and mentally and the mother won’t have to work so hard or take so much pressure from her daughter to be going out. It’s perfect! WooHOO!!
We talked of the program and all that ins and outs thing but the other big conversation we had was about the relationship between the daughter and a boyfriend. Apparently, the mother is worried about pregnancy so she only lets them really be together once a year to be at a dance. YEEKS! That didn’t go over so much with me. So we talked to her about maybe having a once a month deal where they go out to a movie or something and maybe have some dinner. She was worried about them being on their own, but we let her know that she could spend two or three years working through a regular relationship where they would be chaperoned and then just gradually work themselves into be trusted. You know little things like letting them be in the living room together while you are in the kitchen.
I seemed to make some kind of headway and I think the mother knew we were right and we were being supported by the CSO person, but at the same time, we were giving the mother a headache. But as it is she’s got the daughter so tight that no one is making any headway. The girl is 24 … and we went for gold thinking once a month wasn’t overstretching. She’s dealing with the daughter’s anger and frustration at home … this would take a lot of pressure off of things.
I felt good in the role … I didn’t press way hard, but we were pretty sure of ourselves. Pshwoo … good thing to have another one done. We came back and ate lunch and then printed out some information from the park. We had called to check up on things and we got the contact name. We already gave that to the girl – she will bring it home to her mother tonight. We also straightened up some stuff with the daughter’s diabetes. She’ll now be getting some juice every morning at 8-8:30 to help her not be so wobbly. And, we’re going to try getting her to drink a little more water. It should be a good deal.
posted by Ann Marie @ 10/02/2008 05:48:00 AM
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