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The Personal Care Attendant Guide
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 The Art of Finding, Keeping, or Being One
People with
disabilities are one of the largest groups in the United States - about
58 million Americans are members of this community. To live
independently, many people with physical, sensory, or cognitive
disabilities hire a personal attendant to assist with day-to-day tasks.
Finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging, but not impossible.
Written by an inspiring speaker, writer and advocate who is herself disabled, The Personal Care Attendant Guide
teaches readers how to find a competent caregiver. It also gives
current and prospective attendants vital information and real-life
examples to help them succeed in this demanding work environment.
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Personal Care Assistance
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There are lots of reasons why people with disabilities decide to get more help. Some don't have a choice - because of the extent of their disabilities, because of their family situations, or because of other health issues. Some don't have time to do all of their personal care, homemaking, and other tasks themselves. And some just plain don't want to do these things themselves! However, regardless of the reason for getting help, most people prefer to have the entire caregiving and care receiving process be as short and un-disruptive as possible.
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Personal Care Assistants
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You’ve wrestled with the issue of attendant care, and decided that it’s finally time to get some help. Or perhaps a present caregiver is getting older, and needs some relief. Maybe you’re just feeling older yourself. You’re in good company: over forty percent of all people with spinal cord injury (SCI) use some form of assistance, and the percentage increases with age. For first-time personal care attendant (PCA) employers, here are some tips for maintaining freedom, flexibility and control, and saving money to boot.
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Long-term Care Givers
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No one plans on spinal cord injury. “No one” includes you–the spouse, the family, the person who provides care–as well as the survivor. Yet you’ve been there, all this time. And by now you know that there’s not much out there in the way of support for spouses, friends and family. You say you feel neglected?
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Caregiving
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You’ve lived with someone who is spinal cord injured for some time. Perhaps you’re feeling more tired, more blue, more isolated than you want to. You may find yourself with different priorities than your partner, especially where things like work, children, education or creative expression are concerned. The problem? You’re not disabled, your partner, son or daughter is. Research is showing that wives, husbands, significant others those who provide care are at risk of developing significant problems of their own. If you provide care for your loved one – or if you receive care from one read on …
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Accepting New Help
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The world we live in - and we ourselves - place a very high value on physical independence. We're raised on the expectation that we will ultimately take care of ourselves. As toddlers, we learn to dress and feed ourselves, as teens we learn to drive and to think for ourselves and finally, as adults, we assume responsibility for our lives. Hallelujah, we've finally grown up.
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Home Alone!
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Many people think of "independence" not in terms of how well they can dress themselves, transfer into bed, or drive, but in terms of their ability to live alone in their own home. Many of these people use hired helpers, or assistants who come into the home, do what needs to be done, and then leave. Such helpers, rather than spelling dependence, are in fact a tool for the individual's independence.
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HELPING HANDS
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 A non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for quadriplegic individuals by training capuchin monkeys to assist them with daily activities. It's difficult to imagine what it would be like to be a quadriplegic. Yet in a split second, it could happen to anyone. And when it does, people lose more than control of their arms and legs -they lose control of their lives. Each day becomes a challenge to regain that control and as much independence as possible. Our monkeys are affectionate, responsive friends whose companionship can brighten a disabled individual's outlook on life, relieve hours of loneliness and help him become more independent.
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10 TIPS FOR FAMILY CAREGIVING
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1. Choose to take charge of your life. Don't let your loved one's illness or disability always take center stage. We fall into caregiving often because of an unexpected event, but somewhere along the line you need to step back and consciously say, "I choose to take on this caregiving role." It goes a long way toward eliminating the feeling of being a victim.
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Caring from a Caregiver
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by BirdeR Caregiving will teach you many lessons. One of the most important lessons you learn, is to live your own life more fully. Caregivers face special problems and issues. Caring for another individual is an intimate and personal experience.
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Personal Assistance
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