Alexa Echo Dot Changes My Life For The Good! Vlog Post

 A new vlog post video. Find out how the Alexa Echo Dot has given me an ability I didn't have before! 

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HOW TO TRANSFER FROM YOUR WHEELCHAIR TO BED OR CAR....

Even though my husband has been using a wheelchair for about thirty years, he is still always learning how to do daily activities as his body faces aging issues such as osteoarthritis. For instance, up until about seven years ago, he would do a standing pivot transfer. Meaning he would stand up, hold on to his arm rests, carefully balance and pivot to drop down his backside onto whatever surface he wanted to transfer to.
Life Altering Injuries
One day as he was standing about to pivot, he noticed his wheelchair brake was releasing. Not wanting to come crashing down, he made a sudden twisting move to hit the bed surface, heard a wrenching, tearing sound in his shoulder. It was a memorable night, but ever since, he has not been able to transfer the way he always did. His rotator cuff was torn and mighty painful. In fact, it has never been restored completely. He has undergone physical therapy, has stretches and and exercises to do at home. Words of wisdom, if you have a routine your physio wants you to do, stay committed and do those exercises and stretches because if you slack off, as my husband has discovered, your muscles and joints, tendons and ligaments will suffer. The old adage, if you don't move it, you'll lose it, is true. Not to mention in his case, because he is sixty four, osteoarthritis has been impacting his physical mobility in his hands and fingers. Again, all the more reason to keep mobile no matter what it takes!
Not Confined to Our Wheelchairs, Just Using Them!
Like I said, if you are able to bear weight like Craig, you can stand holding onto your braked wheelchair and pivot onto your destination. Unless you end up with a a shoulder injury like he did,

Me and my older hoyer lift

then you need to find another way that doesn't involve standing.
As Life changes your abilities, it means coming up with new ways to make life happen.
The sliding transfer Craig does now, is the one I used before I broke my leg doing it back in the this photo when I was eighteen! It was only because of my motor neurone disorder, Spinal Muscular Atrophy. My arm collapsed while I was sliding from my bed onto my wheelchair. Plunk, I my knee hit the floor and I heard a devastating crunch. In my situation, I lost the muscles needed while healing my femur fracture. Mental note, when you live with progressive neuromuscular disorders, please remember to move your muscles as much as possible in order to maintain the strength you had prior to whatever it was that landed you in the hospital or cast.
But this is about transferring for persona who are able to do it on their own, without any devices such as a hoyer lift or even a transfer board.
Before I used a Hoyer hydraulic lift, I would transfer the same way Craig has been ever since the injury. I call it a sliding transfer. It can be done without any assistive devices. In Craig's case and others, it is often necessary to make sure the surface, be it the bed must be raised to a similar height as your wheelchair seat. Unless you are a pro, with great strength, sliding from surface to surface of equal height is the easiest.
Let's See How Other's Do IT!
Below are some very useful videos, the first one is from a cool dude, seriously he is :o) named Mad Martini! I love his Channel title, "Wheelchairs Rock!" So take a look at this to see the basic transferring skills that Marty shares as he enters and exits his car. And then we have added a few more useful videos on the same topic of sliding transfers.
Watch Martin Transfer Here:

How To Transfer From Wheelchair To Bed

From Wheelchair To Floor

A Variety Of Wheelchair Transfers

Wheelchair To Chair Transfer

Floor To Wheelchair Transfer

YES INDEPENDENTLY...A Few More Thoughts On That

YES, INDEPENDENTLY!
Living Independently?  You just said folks like you require assistance from others in order to live out your physical life. How can that be living independently? Okay, maybe you, yourself, didn't ask that, but I am imagining someone reading this might have. It's a valid question after all.
How can, I say that I and others similar to me, live independently, when we require assistance every single day and night, no holidays?  Requiring a hand with all or some daily living tasks, such as, getting out of and into bed, personal hygiene,  bowel and bladder routines, all kinds of housekeeping, shopping, pet care, cooking... all aspects of running a home, as well as assistance with employment? Trust me, that question is out there.
So let me clarify what some, I said, some people misunderstand. When someone says they live independently, many picture living without the help of anyone else.  The answer is and always will be from many of us is...We live independently because of the arms and legs or assistance of others, helping us with what  we can not do on our own, we are able to live independently.
That assistance, for me, is made possible by the PCAs, that God blesses me with each day and night, decade after decade.  I was blessed with a bonus, thankfully my husband, who also uses a wheelchair, has what I call "regular muscles." He also takes care of my physical tasks where he can. You should see all the wrinkles he smooths out for me so I can sleep. Not to mention, moving strands of hair out of my eye, and all the other tasks I can no longer do where he can. Cooking is great fun, he is awesome at taking my directions, made possible by all the teaching I received in my four years of high school home economics cooking classes, dear Mrs. Agombar.
I lived on my own since I was seventeen, those classes helped me to not just eat Kraft Dinner, (I actually preferred No Name mac and cheese) Independent living was possible back then, thanks to PCAs and my family.
It is a wonderful thing to be able to live on your own single or married. Yes, we clearly depend on others to carry out the physical aspects of life, but it is as if we are doing it on our own, thanks to the arms and legs of other, who help us to do things the way we like them to be done.

A beautiful thing in my life.

YES INDEPENDENTLY - Updated!

Living with a physical disability often means hiring someone to be our "arms and legs." Depending on our abilities and level of care needs, are what determine just how much assistance we may need....
ALWAYS A WAY
I am one of those individuals. In my situation, living with a neuromuscular disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 3, means progression of my muscle weakness.  That means as the years have clicked by, my level of care needs increase. My hands can still type this article, albeit slowly, but my arms can't be raised. I can sort of  try to move my right forearm to reach something on the table, by "walking" my fingers across the table surface. Can you picture that? :o) It is amazing how we can come up with ways to figure out how to do things in a different or new way, on our own, when your abilities are changing.
For me, it has been  a blessing, to know that my muscles were/are going to slowly stop cooperating over the course of my life. It is one of the reasons that this blog is called Walking, Way Overrated. I did walk and for me, that ability slowly crept away. It wasn't a huge loss, because I had been prepared for it.
Mind you, these days, I must confess, that in spite of knowing what may happen next, I am a bit nervous. As long as I had the basic the use of my hands and forearms, I could still create, cook, shop,  knit, sew, garden, sort of hug and things like that. As of this moment, fifty percent of that isn't possible anymore. But thanks to my dear husband, I get to direct his hard working hands to shop, prepare and cook, not mention the many other ways he helps me out.
As for being a visual artist,  I find myself trying to get all I can done.  (my recent passion has been working in polymer clay) Working steadily whenever I have the energy and health to.  My thinking being, work while you still can. Just incase, the day comes, my hands decide to not work with me anymore! My dominant hand is the right one, the left one's job is to drive my power chair :o) So far, so good. CLICK HERE if you want to check out my artistic side!
It's all in God's hands. Ha, my hands are happily in HIS Hands!  I trust His provision. It's just the one function that I didn't really plan on losing before He takes me to my Home in Heaven!
These changes lead to automatically problem solving, as  many of us go. There's always a way,  if not with our own limbs, especially with the assistance of friends, family and PCAs!

LIFE CHANGES....NOW! 
Craig didn't always use a wheelchair. When he faced pretty much sudden changes in his lower limbs, he ended up having to live in the hospital for about three months in rehabilitation. At that point, in total, he had already been in hospitals a total of about six months. Anxious to breathe the fresh air at his home on the lake, he asked to go home. Turned out, it was too soon. In spite of the fact that he had to remain a rehab out-patient for aa total of two years. When he talks about it now, he says that he definitely should have lived a bit longer in the hospital. But he did it on his own, with a bit of assistance from an outside homemaker program. He lived on his own, with no one to call on for help. He happily shares how called on God's help daily! Craig has many amazing stories, miracles really, of how he was clearly helped physically many many times by God's ministering angels. No, he doesn't worship angels, we know though that the Bible says they are ministering spirits sent to help God's people. I too have incredible stories about God's protection, provision, and just overall help in every day life.
A good lesson to learn from Craig is, if you are facing changes to your body like that.  As anxious as you may be to get out of the hospital setting, make sure you feel completely comfortable, fully equipped to live your new life, having all the physical supports you need.
PRESSING THROUGH
Over the course of our lives, Craig and I, have admired so many who have embraced sudden life altering injuries and illnesses. Not meaning they were happy about the changes, but they worked through it all with the help of family, friends, programs like rehabilitation, occupational therapy, physical therapy, independent living classes, problem solving, learning new ways to live their changed life. And many of us would say, nothing would have been possible without Jesus Christ being our strength (Craig and I "amen" that!)
The many people we admire, are lives that were changed suddenly, from able bodied, to paralyzed from the neck or waist down, diagnosed with progressive Multiple Sclerosis, or Neuromuscular Disorders such as ALS, and other issues,  they may not have welcomed the life altering events with open arms. In fact, I don't know too many who would. In fact, there are countless stories of those who asked to be removed from life support or have something done to end their life on purpose.  (One huge reason why the recent discussions in Canada, about the legalization of euthanasia, deeply saddens me and many of my peers)  One friend we know was in a motorcycle accident, receiving a serious head injuring, leaving him paralized on one side of his body. He told me once that he was on life support and wanted to be unplugged to die, believing life wouldn't be worth living. This dear fellow continued to share with me how thankful he was that no one pulled the plug. His life was a blessing. In fact, he fell in love and has been happily married for years now. They live together, with the assistance of Personal Care Attendants like I do.

Life has taken on a whole new meaning to so many of us.
I remember a neighbour once that told me in his broken communication that he once was so depressed that he tried to take his own life with a shotgun. Left with a severe head injury, he would never be able to walk without a cane, or speak clearly and smoothly, nor would he be able to write and spell like he did as an adult. But, he told me that he was so thankful that God saved him from his really wrong choice. Yes, his case was unusual and self inflicted but, if you ever faced depression, it can swallow you up if you let it, leaving you unable to think clearly and wisely. Personally, Craig and I believe depression that intense, is a spiritual battle in most cases. I remember feeling it myself as a teen, but thankfully was too terrified of dying. My point is, our friend made it through a tragic, life altering event and was happy to be alive. He too spent time in rehabilitation learning new ways to carry out daily life.
My Heroine...

 Joni Eareckson Tada, broke her neck in a diving accident in 1967. As she faced quadriplegia, never walking or feeling from the chest down, this side of Heaven, she too asked a friend to cut her wrists. Believing the lie that her life was no longer worth living. Thankfully, her friend didn't carry out Joni's request and the entire life altering event, changed her entire life, body, soul and spirit. Her life has

http://www.joniandfriends.org/television/id-rather-be-wheelchair-knowing-him/

been incredible. Click here to meet Joni and her husband Ken. It was her story that inspired me more than a few time through my own life. It was all she went through that caused her, to depend more and more on her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Her life has been a testimony for millions of us. Yes, she is an exception to our everyday lives,  she is an artist, advocate, has an entire organization called JONI AND FRIENDS, sings, collects and manages sending refurbished mobility equipment to many in other countries (Wheels for The World), is married, travels the world, is a public figure, author of many many books, has a radio program....Click her to see JAF. But think about it, if we go through "bad" times, get through it with a whole new way of living, and it helps to encourage even one person, it is so worth that one life. In God's eyes, one person is worth everything. One person Matters.

http://www.joniandfriends.org/television/id-rather-be-wheelchair-knowing-him/

Meaningful Work...
And all these lives, Joni's included, like mine too, are able to be lived out fully, joyfully, even through pain, on this earth, made possible by God. Blessing us with not just friends and family, but trustworthy, compassionate, reliable individuals, PCAs, willing and able to give us a hand so we can live Independently.  What a meaningful way to be employed. Our friends and family do it out of love, for no remuneration. But there have been many who have chosen out of love for helping others, to become PCAs, as a career. Doing what they love, and as a bonus getting paid to do it. These employees matter to me so much, I wish I could pay them even more. (I am restricted by provincial funds). Sure, I have encountered some over these last four decades or so who clearly do not "love" what they do, it's only a jobber a stepping stone to something they believe is "bigger," BUT, the majority I have been supported by, give others a hand because they want to. It matters to them, it matters myself and countless others like me, more than they will ever know. The fact that they happen to be paid for doing something that matters to them, is meaningful, what a great career. No, it will never yield the dollars of a lawyer, Registered Nurse, Doctor...Movie Star or Hockey Player...Thankfully, there are so many out there, who are humble, willing to be "behind the scenes" so to speak. To think when I get to hang out with a bunch of friends, say something like getting married, I was able to show up dressed beautifully (wearing the custom fitted dress made by my loving aunt), because one of my PCAs got me up that morning, helped me get all cleaned up, putting on my wedding dress, putting me in my wheelchair just the way I need to sit...meeting all of my physical needs so I could show up to the church on time. Sitting upright, comfortable and well cared for because someone who isn't into being in the spotlight - made that possible. And each day of my life, made possible by wonderful ladies, who chooses to work for me, knowing that without one of these girls, I would have to live in a hospital. Thank You God!

Just Wanted To Share This Video Link
I Just watched this great interview with Joni Eareckson Tada and Lucy Wedemeyer where they talk about caregiving, especially when the one being cared for is your spouse or family member. Click here to watch a meaningful video.

INDEPENDENT LIVING: Becoming A Self Manager Of My Own Care

A Work in progress, my unfinished drawing of me and 

one of my great my Personal care assistants! 

by Anita Harris Berglund

If you follow WWO at all, you would know that I hire my own personal care assistants. Some other titles for this position that I am familiar with are Personal Care Attendants or Personal Support Worker.
Big Decisions To Be Made
It has been about twenty whole years since I was blessed, when our Ontario government decided to begin a pilot project to enable folks like myself, to be able to hire and self manage our own personal care.
Initially, our entire province began with only 80 recipients. I got to be on the interviewing committee that was to select Direct Funding applicants from my region of the province. The main qualification was and is, that you are able to manage and direct your own employees.Direct Funding covers the administrative expenses such as hiring bookkeepers if we choose to not do our own bookkeeping, and other related costs.
To also interview, an administrator from the then pilot project came to our northern Ontario community, along with some other admin folks and "consumers" like me, and we met together for three days (if I remember correctly) in a row.
On My Own
At that point, I had lived in what is called a Support Service Living Unit. What is that you ask? When I was seventeen, I was able to move into my first fully wheelchair accessible bachelor style apartment,  where there were Personal Care Assistants in an office, on site, 24 hours a day. It was a thrill to be able to live on my own, after spending six years in an 18 bed residential institution for children with physical disabilities. It was fun for year one, but as I matured into a "cool" teenager :o) doing my own thing reigned supreme. What 17 year old wouldn't want to live all on their own! Well it mattered to me.
The guys who had lobbied and fundraised, to build and manage the first SSLU in Canada, allowed me to move in a year under the "legal" age in good faith. I was only seventeen and in grade twelve. I will never forget how wonderful and free I felt my first day in my own apartment, all on my own! Wish I could say I was on my best behaviour. Freedom came at a price and to make a really long story short, Jesus Christ saved my life from self destruction. But that is another story for another day.

A favourite PCA I got to work with when I lived in Winnipeg,
Canada for a college internship in 1990ish.

So to be clear, an SSLU is a wheelchair accessible apartment unit that has 24 hour personal care assistants on site for a number of tenants living with physical disabilities. We are assessed according to levels of care needed and then the number of employees working at one time was assessed accordingly. Sadly I have heard about funding cuts and present tenants are not getting the care they would like, when they would like it. As with all not for profit, government funded organizations, budgets are tight and must be followed. To me, it was better to have to wait for someone, living independently,  than to live in the institution I had been or live at home with my folks. I love them, but at seventeen I thought I knew it all and wanted to be on my own as soon as possible.
Do I? Don't I?
During the Direct Funding interviewing applicants time, I was asked if I wanted to apply for myself. Because I had been so use to being able to access assistance fairly fast if I had say, a bathroom emergency, I was too nervous to say yes. So, initially I said no. As the three days passed, I changed my mind a couple of times and ended up submitting my application. (Did I tell you I was diagnosed with ADHD about ten years ago! Hence the ping pong ball bouncing brain effect)  
What changed my mind was ongoing issues with some not so nice PCAs, who worked for the SSLU company where I resided. Don't get me wrong, during my six years as a tenant in three different SSLU apartment buildings with 24 hour PCAs, there were some wonderful assistants. Sadly though, it only takes one or two folks who can really intimidate you and make getting care very uncomfortable. Not ever having the option of who would meet my physical care needs, it was (I think) Divine intervention during the three days of interviewing, that I experienced one of the most

I got to go on a trip to our capital city thanks to Direct funding
 enabling me to bring along one of my first, favourite PCA's, Randi!

negative moments ever with a PCA, that prompted me to apply for Direct Funding.
However, fear of the "what if's" over took me and I withdrew my application within those three days. And then something else happened with her, so my frustration escalated, pushing me over the top. Immediately, I resubmitted my application for Direct Funding the next day.
It helped that the manager of my SSLU offered a back up emergency plan, so I could hire my own PCA's and have access to the on site PCA's with an emergency pager,  should a bathroom emergency arise. With apprehension I agreed to push on and follow through with my application process. It was so meant to be, because out of my entire province, only eighty people would be accepted for the pilot project and I became one of them!
Experience, An Asset...
Thankfully it helped a lot that I had a lot of experience directing my care in my home, with employees that I didn't get to choose per say, yet sort of. During my SSLU years, I had began helping with hiring PCAs for all of us in our building, by sitting in on interviews, offering my opinion, whether to hire them or not.
Flying!
Experience interviewing, equipped me with knowledge that most don't get to have first.  My original employees blessed me beyond words. In fact, all my fears about having bathroom emergencies diminished, when once, I had to press my emergency pager (arranged by the manager of my SSLU) one day, to go to the washroom. The very same PCA, that had sparked me to frustration enough, to apply for Direct Funding in the first place. She just happened to be the one who responded to my call. She came to my door and asked if I could wait 20 minutes? The arrangement I had made with the manager prior was, that I would pay a monthly fee, to access their employees incase of an emergency. Then pay per hour if actually needed. I told her "No, it is why I pressed the pager!"

I think it was it was meant to be, that the very person who upset me so many times, was the one to respond to my call in that manner. Why? Because it helped me to learn to hold it in, with all my might (my bladder that is) and wait for my own PCAs to make it to my apartment. The frustration and uncomfortable feeling was not worth enduring ever that again. So I cancelled my back up emergency service plan, cutting the safety net and flew out of my nest! Thankfully, I believe the Lord provided the option.

Because of D/F I have been able to live
where my dear husband and I want to.

Freedom
Never again, did I not have a choice of who was to provide my personal care. It also meant that I would be able to move out of the SSLU building and live wherever I wanted to. Of course it had to be wheelchair accessible. But until Direct Funding was available, we all had/have to live wherever the 24 hour PCAs on site were. Of course the SSLUs are a great system for many who want to live independently, but do not want to fuss with recruiting, hiring, managing, and training their own personal care. And it was a huge blessing for me for six whole years. The ability to live independently because of the ability to be assisted with other people's "arms and legs" so to speak, is an incredible experience.
We know some folks who have been hit with sudden physical disabilities, accidents or aneurysms and then had to live in the hospital for 2-4 years, waiting for an accessible apartment (SSLU) with 24 hour, on site personal assistance.
So Thankful
In our country, we often take for granted services that are available for persons living with various disabilities, that in other countries that would never even be considered a possibility. We have a friend in Peru who has no funding sources for his wheelchair, personal care and other related supports. He told us he would be dead if he was unable to work full time. Now working full time is wonderful, if you are able, but this fellow physically, has a progressive weakening like I do (Spinal Muscular Atrophy 3) and working full time for him, is a huge deal. I know for me, there are days when a small task, can drain most of your energy for the day.

Working is the only way he could scrape enough money to pay for the basic needs for his life. Literally gathering any last bit of energy to work in order to save his life. A totally different mentality than many have in our continent. And even then, he was unable to afford a new battery for his power chair, (here they are about $500-600 CDN) and he primarily had depended on his family assisting him. But his family was aging, and his primary care giver, his dear mother passed away. Needless to say,  he was experiencing fear and serious concern regarding how to obtain actual people to help him out and fund care for his daily living needs. Hearing his story,  helped to open our eyes to see just how blessed we are to live where we do.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/joni-and-friends-agoura-hills?select=Eywp_vu2FgZq9VCRU__1xw

Taking For Granted What Others Can't Even Consider
In many countries never mind receiving personal care, owning a wheelchair is something not possible. Joni Eareckson Tada's Wheels For The World, do all they can to provide mobility devices to places where physical mobility may be sliding around on the ground using your arms or attaching some wheels to a plank like a skateboard, or never being able to leave your bed. I can't ever imagine that. I am so thankful to God for the abundant blessings in my life.
Valuing Life
We know depending where you live in this world, living with a physical disability can mean lives opposite to our lives in North America. In some countries where having something like a hearing issue, a child can end up abandoned, living in an orphanage. Some countries, like I mentioned, there is no access to personal care, unless it is family, or mobility devices. And tragically, in a continent where we have many supports and access to equipment and care, even if it has to be in a hospital, there are North Americans who choose to actually abort pregnancies when they discover their baby has a genetic disease, such as mine. So even though we have access to care other countries don't know of, some ignore those blessings including the blessing of life regardless of abilities and make tragic choices.
It is by sharing our stories that hopefully, we can help those who take so much for granted, to treasure life no matter how their bodies are being affected by disabilities and illness. For me, it is the ability to hire and manage my own Personal Care Assistants so I can live alone with my husband. Not to mention the ability to receive funding assistance for our wheelchairs, cushions and healthcare. Be thankful Canadians!
Share Your Story, Questions, and Thoughts below. We'd love to hear from you.
Thanks for stopping by!

New Arms and Legs....

PCAs or PSWs? What's the Difference?
It's time again. Time to hire a new Personal Care Attendant/Assistant. Sadly, one of my regular girls are moving away.
Personal Care Attendants, or Personal Care Assistants and Personal Support Workers, essentially all carry out the same duties. Yes, duties may vary depending on the company one works for, or in my case, the individual you work for. Being hired by an individual, self manager or by family members to assist one individual, is far different than being hired by a company to provide care for many clients.
Over twenty years ago, I was involved with assisting in interviews to hire for the company I

originally used the services of. They used the job title Personal Care Attendant and later changed it to,  Personal Care Assistant. It worked for me, and either of those titles are what I choose to call my girls.
Personal Support Worker or Not?
When I first became a self manager about twenty years ago, one of my first employees signed up to take the very first Personal Support Worker program at our local college. She and I initially laughed, wondering why folks would have to pay to learn something that you could learn on the job. That is how she came to work for me and how I still hire, no special certificates required. She signed up for it because her school fees were being covered by her other employer, a large home care company. As she worked through the first PSW program, she did affirm that they didn't really learn anything worth paying hundreds of dollars for. She was an exceptional individual, only 19 when I hired her. She was one of the most responsible, level headed, caring individuals I ever was blessed with, to have as a PCA. She went on to use her natural skills to continue being a care giver and become a manager for a company that provides supportive housing.
When it comes to the validity of the PSW programs that are throughout North America these days, I must say, I have learned why it it was created. Well, no one told me, I base this on what I have learned since way back then. This program was created so care giving companies, such, as seniors care homes, could have a standard when hiring. It is much easier to state that applicants must have a specific diploma. It levels the playing field and they could have a foundation to start from, knowing that all applicants would know the basics. As well, the PSW program has definitely evolved into  much more, offering more healthcare skills and knowledge that was not in the original program. It makes sense to me now, even though it didn't in the beginning.
That being said,  I still choose to consider all applicants, those with or without any healthcare training. In fact, in over twenty years, I must say that the majority of my employees have not been PSWs. It hasn't been intentional. I have had a lot of wonderful ladies of all ages, who are just interested in helping me out. They are willing to learn, able to follow directions well and are just plain great employees. My employees have been college and university students, be it Out door Recreation, Nursing, Environmental Studies...the point being when you hire your own PCAs, you can set the terms you prefer. So for me, I have hire standards, in that I seek out not certain papers, but those who are trustworthy, dependable, willing to be trained, flexible, kind and compassionate. It is what works for me.

Why do I not require PSW certificates? 
Because I have found based on my eleven years with a company that did the hiring and managing, (more on that in part two to come.) that they didn't have any set standards. It was all about the interview, about the personality, their references, the ability to learn and the desire to lend a hand and listen to the tenant's directions or needs. Carrying out tasks as if it were the person, like me doing it, enabling people again, like me, to live independently. I did criticize that this company didn't have any foundational standards or requirements and that was the reason why there were often issues with employee behaviour. After all, to me, it made sense that when you hire for many tenants or clients, that you would want to have a base requirement, hoping to obtain the best quality care possible. But, since hiring my own PCAs, I choose to go by each individual, rather than seek paper work, just the way they do/did it.

Set In Stone
My experience has been that those who already work for care providing companies, instead of individual/private hire, or those who have PSW certificates, they often are set in a pattern. Some are set in stone and some not. It makes sense that when one pays and enrols in a program such as the Personal Support Worker one, you are seeking to learn and follow the directions they give you. The ultimate goal, to obtain a job in that field. No doubt, most of those who take a program like that have a specific target. Some just want to be in charge, carrying out tasks as they were taught, and even as they want to. Many of these positions, require the initiative of the employee and not the wishes or direction of the client. This is an entire different focus and when someone like me is interviewing someone with a back ground like that, I have learned to ask the right questions. I need to discover if they would be able to handle my direction, and let go of what they have been taught. It is important that I let them know that I will need them to be my arms and legs under my direction. It may sound rather odd to some, but trust me it has been an issue. Statistically, many who are trained to work in insttuions and such, get offended when you ask them to do things in a specific way. It isn't their fault, it is just how they are wired or how they were taught.

This doesn't mean PSW certificate people don't work out for a private hiring self manager like me. It means, I just need to let them know what my expectations are and to really be specific in the interview, it is usually pretty easy to know if someone needs to be the "boss" in a sense, and just wouldn't be a suitable fit for my needs.

I don't know what it is, but, nursing students and nurses are wonderful employees. Even though they too are trained to do things a certain way, they "get" that I need them to carry out tasks the way I like.  They aren't offended if I ask them to make the bed the way I like, doing it how I would if I could....

Experience Or Not?
The question then remains about hiring PCAs, should they have experience in health care or not? Well, based on what I have experienced, it sometimes helps make the initial training period more comfortable. Only because you are physically unclothed for some tasks and it is easy to feel uncomfortable at first. Knowing they have seen it all before, makes it easier. But then, not necessarily. Seriously, it seems to be all about the personality. If someone is kind, friendly and open to giving you a hand, understanding why you need them...then being naked and depending on their help, becomes more comfortable than you realized. So the answer is, yes and no. It depends on each person. Whatever works for you, works. I can only talk about and offer advice, with what I have experience with.
Thank You To All Who Have Graced My Life
I want to say that because of so many wonderful personalities, willing hearts to help and understanding of what it means to be my "arms and legs," the physical aspect of my life has been able to happen. I am blessed by God to be able to live independently because of great ladies who make it possible. Because of their smiling faces and helpful attitude, never offended by one particular request, my life is extra blessed. :o)

Praise God, We Made It Through….

This time last week, I was sharing about how I was about to try spending the night sleeping in my power tilt wheelchair. Did I make it? Well, here I am. I meant to write about it the next day, but...needless to say, my brain cells were lacking all last week. After some much needed R.E.M. sleep, I can now put words together, to share the following.
I Must Be Dying…

First of all I want to thank God for giving Craig and I the strength to make it through last week. A quick recap (read about it here), my main Personal Care Attendant had to suddenly be off for a week or so, to recover from a back strain injury, acquired at home. Which meant,  I had an, "Uh Oh, what am I going to do" moment. When you depend on the arms and legs of others to get in and out of bed, among a myriad of other tasks, the temptation to panic arises during those moments. And anyone who knows me, knows that even though 99 percent of my life span, has been spent relying on the assistance of others, I am the opposite to a laid back person. When the girl I count on suddenly is unable to give me a hand and I don't have back up assistance for those "just in case moments," my initial reaction isn't as I know it should be… relax, pray to God for help, sip a cup of coffee and

Me in 1966. The best way to sleep in a bed or crib :o)

reflect on how it will all work out….Nope, that's not me, just ask my dear husband…"Craig! What are we going to do? I am going have to live at the hospital or, I must be going to die, so God knows I don't need anyone to help me. Oh and all of this is said loudly,  repeatedly, under great duress, with poor Craig reassuring me that all will work out fine. Do I accept his assessment of the situation? Nope, of course not! Again, the freak out, over reaction, panic and anticipation of a fatal coronary event ensues. And this is just when I have only one employee and am trying to hire a second person.
God's Grace, Really Is Amazing!
Well, thanks to I am sure, God's intervention, a week ago this morning,  as my injured attendant was clearly not doing well physically, an unusual peace flooded my heart and mind.  The temptation to freak out with worry, after she left, did knock at the door, but it didn't happen. Knowing that I had no one to fill in for her, an amazing calmness came over me. I even had a bigger reason to panic, I had been in process trying to hire another morning person, but hadn't yet. And yet still, I sensed that worrying and freaking wouldn't help anything, that God, as He always does, would provide what I needed.  And guess what, He did! Thank You God for Your amazing Grace, for providing me with the best of care and the hearts of three caring, committed, willing and reliable ladies. Did I worry even a little? Of course I tried it, but recanted as God took care of all the details.
The Camp Out
Okay, so yes, God provided for my needs all last week. Thank you Lord for that, thank You for everything actually. I was never stuck in or out of bed and thanks to my dear husband, he helps me out as he always does. But, like I mentioned, I wanted to try to see if I could sleep in my tilting wheelchair, just for the first night. Here's the thing, I didn't have to, I had planned for the worst, hence the plan to not go to bed, but both of my casual gals were able to give me a hand that night and morning. However, I insisted on trying out the camp out idea and decline their offers.
Energize?!
Well, Craig got comfy on the futon in the living room, I got him to wrap me as snug as a bug in a rug with my favourite "Minky" blanket, Star Trek's Deep Space Nine was set to play, while I tried to sleep….and then I tried the video of the book of John….then I tried to shut it all off….and keeping my eyes closed through it all, while Craig was sawing logs, the hours ticked by, 2….3….5…and then by six am - ish,  Craig got up and we made a great scrambled egg breakfast. It all had to be God's grace because there were times that day, where my heart felt like it was going to just stop beating. My disability involves progressive muscle weakness, so I am use to that floppy, limp feeling.  It felt like five pound weights had been strapped to my limbs. Actually that is the best way to help someone understand what progressive muscle wasting feels like. Clamp on some weight to your limbs and carry out your day. Can't be one or two pounders,  try at least five to ten pounds. Pretty much, gravity is my enemy.
Anyhoo, that following night, in our real bed,  as I laid there anticipating a restful sleep, in spite of the second, third and fourth winds,  the physical fatigue intensified and the weakness actually made me nervous. I told Craig I thought I might not make it through the night. Well, I did.  (you have no idea, how many times he hears me say those words)
Lessons
Number one, no, sleeping in my wheelchair is not a good idea. However, if I had no choice, I could survive it, Lord willing.
Lesson two, if someone offers you help, take it. After all, when you ask God for help and He throws you a life line, it is really silly to push it aside. I admit that even though I knew in my heart God would care for my needs, I took control and planned for the worst scenario and as a result spent a night of sleeplessness when I didn't have to. May He remind me of this event, should a similar scenario occur ever again.
A third lesson I want to share with anyone who doesn't know that God loves us and wants us to depend on Him. I have been hiring my own PCAs for about twenty years now, and must testify that without God being life, I wouldn't have been blessed with so many dedicated employees. He loves us and wants us to depend on His care.  I have lived without Him in my life and I could never go back to that life. If it wasn't for the love and care of Jesus Christ, this time a week ago…well, let's just say, I believe I never even would have lived to get to this point in my life.

And thank you so much to my great PCAs. You have no idea how much your willingness, blessed me with reassurance not having to "worry" about how I was going to get to or out of bed. We all made it through and are on the other side.  And thank You God for bringing our main PCA back to us, healed and raring to go. 

No Knead Bread With Craig part 2

Watch Part two of Craig making no knead bread!!