Yes You Can - Fourth Edition - 111

neighbor who’d like to earn a little extra money occasionally to know your care, so that you can call on that person when you need to. You might have an agreement with another person who has an attendant to share the attendant in an emergency. Some communities have organizations that can supply attendants on an emergency basis; for example, a visiting nurse service or an organization for persons with disabilities. These organizations often require an application and an assessment of needs and eligibility, so be sure to make arrangements in advance, before you actually need the service. The same person doesn’t have to meet all your needs. A visiting nurse will help with bowel and bladder care, but won’t clean your house or run errands. You [or your family, friends, and neighbors] might know a responsible teenager who’d like to earn some money performing those tasks. The most important part of handling the sudden loss of your attendant is having a backup plan for that situation. If you haven’t overused your relatives and friends, they’ll probably come through for you when you have no attendant. Remember: Your attendant is only human. Your attendant has formally agreed to be responsible for certain needs of yours. In return, he or she can expect your respect. Your attendant is not bound to you for more than the hours stated in the letter of employment. He or she has a life, and helping you is only one part of it. You have a right to expect that services will be satisfactorily performed, but you don’t have an unlimited charge account on your attendant’s time. Don’t be demanding. Use the same tact and warmth with your attendant as you would with a friend. If you ﬁnd that you’re often shorttempered with your attendant, try to step out of yourself and see what’s causing it. Ask yourself before you snap at or argue with your attendant, “Is this a real problem that aﬀects my needs or is it just a personal habit that gets on my nerves?” If you believe that your attendant is at fault, wait for a calm moment and say you’d like to discuss something. Describe the problem as you see it and get your attendant’s point of view. On the other hand, if you ﬁnd that you are mostly at fault, stop yourself. Thinking before you speak will help you maintain control. [See section 3.b, Psychosocial Adjustment, for suggestions on communication.] Even an experienced attendant will sometimes forget parts of your daily routine. Try to be tactful with your reminders. Finally, if you need help with a special project, give your attendant some advance notice. If it’s time to change the bald tires on your wheelchair or to do a nonroutine spring cleaning of your apartment, let your attendant know about it well in advance, so he or she can schedule the project at a convenient time. This will help prevent friction and increase the likelihood of the job being done thoroughly. In general, show the same gratitude and respect toward your attendant as you would to any friend. Everyone appreciates “please” and “thank you.” Supervising Your Attendant Being a supervisor may be a new role for you. To be eﬀective, you need to understand the skills involved. Supervising doesn’t mean being a boss. It means working with your attendant and guiding him or her to get the job done. This section reviews the basic skills of eﬀective supervision. It stresses the need to work with your attendant to solve problems and to be ﬁrm when necessary. Because of the close contact between you and your attendant, the employee/employer roles can get confused. It’s important for you to use supervisory skills to stay in control, solve problems, and maintain a good relationship with your attendant. Section 2: Maximizing Your Function! | [ 111 ]

Yes You Can - Fourth Edition

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Yes You Can - Fourth Edition