Yes You Can - Fourth Edition - 113

Assertiveness Examples A man with a disability had planned far in advance to attend a concert. The day before the concert, his attendant asked him to ﬁnd another driver, because the attendant had just gotten a dinner invitation from a buddy. The disabled man told the attendant that he appreciated and understood the attendant’s desire to go to dinner with his friend. But he reminded the attendant of the previous agreement to drive him to the concert and pointed out that it was too late for him to make other arrangements, so the attendant would have to fulﬁll the commitment. A woman with a disability hired a man to be her attendant. At the time of the interview, she explicitly stated that she had no interest in combining work with romantic involvement. After a month of employment, the man started making suggestive remarks to her. She reminded him of their earlier conversation. She said she did not feel the same way about him, and that she would appreciate it if he did not bring up the issue again. If he did, she would have to let him go. The man said he was sorry for making her uncomfortable and he would respect her wishes. He gave his two-week notice of termination because he could not promise that his feelings would change if he stayed on. Consider using one or more of these programs for cash wages for the attendant. You can also provide noncash wages, room and board, and other beneﬁts as the sole payment or in combination with a cash wage. Your social worker and other members of your health-care team can help you explore various options. Review the material below and then discuss your attendant plan with your social worker or others. Unless you’re using an agency, you are the employer—you’ll be responsible for recruiting, hiring, ﬁring, paying wages, and reporting cash and noncash wages for tax purposes. Possible Payment Sources for Attendant Care All these programs generally require paperwork, like medical documentation of need and ﬁnancial statements. Check with each funding source about IRS and Social Security reporting requirements. State Medicaid programs Contact your local program about in-home attendant care programs. Some states have special income-waived programs, including funding for employed people who need ongoing attendant care after they return to work. Workers compensation Each state and federal program has diﬀerent requirements for funding attendant care. Ask your agency contact person for more information. Private insurance Check your policy. Some policies cover attendant care. VA The Department of Veterans Aﬀairs does not directly pay for attendant care for veterans but may supply extra pension and service-connected income to help with these expenses. Many VA Salaries and Fringe Benefits As an employer, you will be paying a salary to your employee. This money may come from various sources. Your ﬁnancial resources and the community’s going rate of pay will determine the salary. You may also be providing room and board and beneﬁts. Paying Your Attendant Many programs exist that may pay for attendant care. Each program has diﬀerent eligibility criteria, application processes, and employer expectations. Section 2: Maximizing Your Function! | [ 113 ]

Yes You Can - Fourth Edition

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