Taking Care

I'm home today with a sick Andrew. Thankfully, it's nothing more than an upset stomach. I just thought he deserved a day of rest. As the primary caregiver for our family, I need these every now and then, too. Additionally, we've grown to rely on the myriad of "helpers" at our home who help lighten the load of caring for a child with such extreme physical limitations. Solving the caregiving puzzle is a very personal thing. Some families can rely on grandparents or other relatives to help out. Others require more skilled nursing care than we do and work through home health care agencies. At various points in Andrew's life, we've hired OT and PT students, au pairs and just kind and loving "babysitters." Now that he is older, our needs are more focused on activities of daily living vs. childcare. We take part in a CT DSS program called the Katie Beckett Home-Based Medical Waiver program (800-445-5394). In our case, a wonderful woman comes in each weekday morning and night to help Andrew get ready for school and then bed. Katie Beckett helps offset the cost of caring for a child within the home, as well as other home-related expenses. Each state offers something similar under various names. It's definitely worth looking into.