Thursday, November 13, 2008

National Family Caregiver's Month ... a roar of frustration

An essential truth of National Family Caregiver’s Month is that a twist of fate is all that separates a non-caregiver from a caregiver.

Sometimes a comment to Caregivingly Yours roars with such frustration and passion that it demands its own entry.


fantaz009 has left a new comment on your post "caregiving: wwwmedicaregov/caregivers/"
:


excerpts …


“… a few years ago my wife (45) suffered a car accident … Surgery was necessary… and then another surgery … which left her totally disabled … extensive physical
therapy and years of retraining to walk and recovery are in store …”

…my wife a Dental Assistant for 12 years has been handed down without retirement and I owning my own business at the time … was forced to sell and take plenty less than it's net worth, to not only provide for
raising my two teen aged daughters yet total around the clock attention to my wife.

… Each of us have made major sacrifices in our lives … fnding ourselves and our daughters at one time totally broke and homeless, losing our house for lack of payment, kicked to the streets like dogs …

… The disability check my wife now receives, is less than $700 a month. We have verily lived on only that now for 5 years.

… any compensation, for my time in caregiving for my wife? … never offered anymore than food assistance.

We can't even afford a car. So are dependent on our daughter for transportation …

… in my trade. I've tried to re- enter but at my age, I'm stopped at the door with looks …

I provide all the care but we get no giving. I feel that even now I'm wasting my time writing this, because I have very little faith in a bureaucracy that never gives answers, only questions my validity while suppressing the problem..."


All reposting to my comment, can be sent to my email address fantaz009@hotmail.com thank you for your time, comments, and concerns. Stacy Bowen

Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
website: http://caregivinglyyours.com/
videos: http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer
musings: Patrick Ponders ...

3 comments:

  1. Sadly this is the story more often than not and here in NY it will not be getting better. The latest Governor elect wants to cut what else but education and health care. When are these people going to wake up and realize you are cutting out people's lives with those cuts. (Hugs)Indigo

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  2. that is so sad, Patrick; and you know its not the only story out there; we can only hope eventually we will get lawmakers that are compassionate and passionate about such an issue of caregiving and needs and do something about it constructively; I fear it won't happen anytime soon :(

    betty

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  3. Your right Patrick, a simple twist of fate, in the blink of an eye lives are changed. Stacy's frustration is evident and interferes with his caregiving. It's almost like maneuvering thru a maze to get home assistance, each state has their own hoops to jump thru and it's just overwhelming to try to do that while doing 24/7 caregiving!

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