After three years, my aid is moving on. She’s changing her hours to work 12 hour shifts each day during the weekend. This way she can make relatively the same hours in less days and be home with her son. With all the uncertainty of the schools new operating hours, who could blame her.  I witnessed firsthand what it was like when she had a homeschool her son. It was hard for every parent but exceptionally hard for someone when English is a second language.  my aid speaks very well but she didn’t come to this country until she was 16. Most of her schooling was done in Haiti. She has a GED and understands a lot, but it is still very difficult for her.  It was such a challenge for her to teach her son because on some things she was teaching herself. I give her so much credit because she worked very very hard during those months that school was closed. She would sit with her son doing the work for hours upon hours every single day. she is making this move preparing for what’s going to happen in September. I can do nothing but commend her.

Unfortunately, that means I’m gonna get a new aid. Nobody likes change. My aid and I had a very good routine and we knew each other very well, now I’m gonna have to start over. I decided that now I’m going to change my hours as well. The thought of increasing my hours has gone through everybody’s head, including my wheelchair OT and probably my neurologist. I’m the one who always pushes against it. So I decided to change the hours first and see how that goes before I ask for an increase.

The hours would change to 1pm to 9pm. Originally I asked for 12 to 8 but because of the agency’s morning shifts, 12 would be a tough start time. My thinking behind this change is I’m stronger in the morning. Most of my falls happen at night. I also have a pretty set routine in the morning. I wake up idea with the dogs, I work out, I write my blog, I sit around and recover. I normally don’t eat until 11 o’clock in which I first have my coffee and maybe some fruit. I don’t eat a meal until maybe 12. I usually eat an early dinner because of the time that my aid leaves now which is 4:30. With an aid being here in the evening, I can eat a little later, I could just change appointments to the afternoon’s, and shower at night. I could cook when she gets here so that wouldn’t be any issue and other than my mah-jongg game out of the house nothing really would matter with the time switch. My out of the house mah-jongg game would be my only problem but I could deal with that when it comes around again. At this point no one is playing still. The biggest thing and the main reason for all this is that the aid could put me to bed before she leaves. Sometimes that’s the hardest part of my evening. I prefer her not to put me into bed at 8 o’clock so her leaving at 9 o’clock is better. From there I could just stay in my room and watch TV until I go to sleep. 

Of course this all will depend on how my mornings go. However, every Saturday that’s my morning. That is exactly how I do things. Sundays as well, except I don’t write my blog. I do fine. I do fine until late afternoon and the evening when I become tired. I think changing the hours is going to be a good thing. It is something my current aid could never have done. I’m going to be sorry to see her go because she’s like my family, but she’ll still be in my life. I won’t lie, I’m really not looking forward to a new person. Nobody likes change. Specially when it’s eight hours a day five days a week. However, I am hopeful that this change is the right move for myself as well as my aid.