Nothing is nicer than sleeping in on the weekends. A rainy morning resting in your bed to the gentle sound of rain drops. A rainy morning, such as the one this morning, felt like a perfect morning to stay in bed. However, like everyone else, I had to be to work.
7:30 came far to soon. I was awoken by my girlfriend opening my door and asking “Have you heard from the caregiver”? Normally, my day would start at 7 AM, with a caregiver helping me to shower and dress, but this morning, there was no call, no text, no caregiver. With work staring at 8:30, I knew that I would certainly be late.
Fortunately, I was able to call and get a backup caregiver to stop in around 8:30. However, there have been many days where due to the limited number of caregivers, and resources being stretched thin, many individuals requiring care, may have to wait hours before help can come in. And with the inability to change position, or use the facilities until the caregiver comes, it can be a torturous experience having to remain in bed for too much longer than the scheduled time.
Such a case happened this past Sunday, where my worker called in sick and the care agency couldn’t send staff until 1 PM. In the end, my brother was able to come around 11, but by then I was already quite sore and stiff, with joint pain that lasted throughout the day.
Sadly, many others are stuck waiting in bed just as long, if not longer, due to the shrinking number of home healthcare workers. The long hours and low pay make it difficult to spend time with family and loved ones while keeping up with the rigor of the field. With many individuals needing round the clock cares, it’s difficult to keep adequate staffing.
This issue is not specific to any one of the home healthcare providers I have used over the years, and has occurred with all of them. As may of the staff are students working on nursing or CNA degrees, their tenure is often brief, yet understandable. The aid that home healthcare workers provide is nothing short of a lifesaver, and sadly often goes underappreciated, as most positions provide little to no benefits for those working with Medicaid funded clients and services.
Fortunately, for me, my boss is very much understanding of my “sleeping in”. And with winter soon to be on the way, my mornings may experience further delays.
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