What's Going on in My Life

BUSY is the word. 

I've had lots of work for others to do. The powers that be (the feds) have come up with new rules for those who provide licensed homes for adults with developmental disabilities. Some of the rules are a bit on the odd side since they don't take into consideration how different people with disabilities are--some are seniors and the rules don't really fit. Some have difficult behaviors and some of the rules don't fit here either.

As I've often said those who make the rules often have no idea what kind of people--so varied and different--are being cared for in the community.

The one good rule that has come out recently is Person-Center Planning, where the individual has a say in how and what things are done: what are his/her goals, what he/she likes to do for fun and work, what he/she likes to eat and doesn't like. And frankly, I suspect most providers who really know the individuslas in their homes have been doing this all along.

Each regional center in California has addressed this differently. Most have included the new rules in their guidelines for new providers' program designs--and have asked for updates from established homes.

When I did a new program design for the regional center I work with most, I've been including the rules. Recently, they hired a temp outfit to check everyone's program design and I don't think they quite understood the rules. What they asked for was weird--lots of redundancy, didn't quite go along with the feds' rules, and no room for any changes in case the rules didn't fit the particular individuals in the home. 

And of course, there were those who waited until the very last minute of the deadline who asked for my help. I'm only one person and I no longer stay up half the night to do a job for someone. I still did what was asked, but one was a day late.

I'm sure there will be some blow back on these--we'll see.

Next blog, I will share what else has been going on.

Marilyn