Day 1112 - Jun 15, 2011

Kevin was supposed to go bowling this morning, but he was not getting up for nothing, lol. Truthfully, he has been really nauseous lately (which is just tiring him out) and I am wondering if it's from the vitamins the doctor put him on recently. I popped her an email a while ago so we'll see what she has to say.

And today I went to another Vet Center appointment. I really do like this woman and she was even able to get me in again in less than 2 weeks. I still haven't had time to contact anyone at Give An Hour - I really need to do that.

I did have to take Kevin with me and he just sat in the waiting room and played Angry Birds. He did really well - didn't call me once. I think part of the reason that I haven't contacted Give An Hour is that there is no way I am going to get Kevin to sit in a waiting room on a regular basis. There's really nothing else I can do with him so it may have to wait until I can figure something out.

And after that we hung out with Breezy for a bit and then we came home and retreated to our separate spaces. I got all of my caregiver classes completed and am emailing the test tonight. Not sure if I mentioned that we had to read a huge book and take a test to be eligible to be a VA approved caregiver. What a HUGE waste of taxpayers' money. I can safely say that I think we all know that we need to wash our hands, take breaks (there was no real reference as to HOW we are supposed to take breaks without any real help) and watch less tv so that we can stay healthy. Thank you, VA - for wasting my time.

And let me jump in here and say that I think it's great that the VA realizes that folks like me can't continue to do this for free forever. I do appreciate the caregiver's bill - I really do. BUT...

Now I have to wait and have a home visit. I guess since there's a few hundred bucks a month on the table, the VA now has to monitor us caregivers and make sure we are taking care of the veteran. I think that's funny because nobody has cared over the last three years if I was doing a good job, but I guess now that there's money involved - someone will come to our home every 90 days. I guess they also felt the need to hire hundreds more people to monitor something some folks have been doing for up to 10 years already.

Well, bring it on, I say. There's no doubt the kid is taken care of, which will be part of my appeal process. The VA feels I am only a part-time caregiver. I was told yesterday that I will get paid for 10-25 hours a week and that's it. Apparently it doesn't matter that Kevin needs 24 hour supervision - according to their doctor!

The way I look at it the VA can't have it both ways. They can't tell me that I have to stay home with Kevin 24 hours a day because he needs supervised and then tell me that they are only paying for part time help. Don't get me wrong - I don't expect to be paid for every hour of the day, but I do expect to be paid the 40 hours that is being paid to the folks that all have nurses at least 9 hours every single day. After all - it really isn't my responsibility to watch him - it's theirs. And sure, they can put him in a home or in some adult day care, but believe me, that will cost a heckuva lot more than paying me 40 hours a week. I know what ResCare cost and it is 16 TIMES what they intend to pay me on a monthly basis.

I just don't think they are looking at it correctly. It's about time. It's about the time that must be spent watching or caring for the veteran. The time that someone like me can't leave her house without the veteran to get a job or run errands. It doesn't matter if Kevin can shower and mostly dress himself. He still can't be left alone. He still can't cook. He still can't call someone for help. He still can't set up his appointments. He still can't drive himself to his numerous therapies. He still can't order his medications. He still can't figure out that there is more to cleaning his house than putting the dishes in the sink. He still can't tie his shoes. He still can't do his laundry. And he definitely can't speak enough to fight the battles that I fight every single day for him.

Frankly, I could go on and on about the things he can't do, but what's the sense, right? They are choosing not to see the negatives when it suits them, but believe me when I say they have no problem shoving the negatives down my throat on a daily basis. Arrgh!! This just irritates the heck out of me!

I am just so tired of having to fight every single thing...but don't you worry - I WILL! Kevin deserves it!!