ATTENDANT CARE
Imagine: you can't perform the most menial, yet crucial
tasks - like eating, bathing and going to the toilet -
and you can't afford to hire someone to help you. That's
when you would realise just how important our ATTENDANT
CARE GIVERS are. Without them hundreds of people
would experience indescribable suffering. They roll up
their sleeves and do whatever it takes to make life worth
living
"It is not an easy job, but we work together as
a team, share ideas, sing, and pray to release stress,"
says Manager of APD's Attendant Care Services, Rachel
Legasa.
APD's Social Workers started the Attendant Care Service
in 1990, after they had determined that there was a need
for a home-based care program in the community as many
disabled and bedridden people were living in desperate
circumstances without anything to eat or drink, and nobody
to clean them. In some cases family members had left their
jobs in order to care for their disabled people, with
the result that the household income had either been dramatically
reduced, or completely dried up, causing even more serious
problems.
Volunteers Fade After A
While
Initially, volunteers were recruited and trained to care
for and assist severely disabled people in their own homes.
But due to poverty conditions and the nature of the work
- the duties of a care giver involve a lot of physical
work, eg bathing a disabled person which involves bending,
lifting and turning - it was difficult to retain volunteers.
Because
of all the problems with volunteers, the APD decided rather
to employ people as care givers. Late in 1990 the organisation
employed the first batch of care givers and trained them
in activities of daily living, eg bathing, exercises,
incontinent management, dressing of bed sores and light
meal preparation.
Since then, our care givers have helped many hundreds
of people, such as Doris…
Doris
stays alone. She was shot years ago and became paralysed
from the neck down.
APD care givers have been assisting Doris since the formation
of the Attendant Care Service in 1990. At that stage,
Doris could not do anything on her own. But, with the
help and loving care of a care giver, Doris is now able
to clean her house, cook and wash her laundry - all using
only two of her fingers and her one thumb!
Despite this, Doris still needs help to get herself ready
for the day every morning. She therefore needs the assistance
of a care giver seven days a week. As our care givers
only work week days, Doris has arranged for volunteers
from her church to help her on weekends and holidays
But, as mentioned, volunteers from the community are
not committed to assist all of the time. People complain
of back problems and only help for a short period of time
before deserting her.
So, people like Doris will need assistance for the rest
of their lives. And our care givers are crucial to them
because we are reliable. Needless to say, we as care givers
will always need financial support to assist people like
Doris.
Mixed Bag Of Surprises
Being a care giver is not an easy job, but we forge ahead.
We work together as a team, share ideas, sing, and pray
to release stress. That's why we still continue to make
a difference in the lives of disabled people.
Nobody knows what the future holds. If the past is anything
to go by, the future will be a mixed bag of surprises.
But the one certainty is that we will continue to assist
as many people as possible each year to become independent.
Our main focus remains quadriplegics and severely physically
disabled people. And we do not discriminate; how and why
people become disabled or bedridden is not important to
us. We cannot predict how many advanced Aids clients we
will encounter, but we do know that the foreseeable future
will show an increase in need.
And, when the inevitable comes, we provide a better quality
of life allowing dignity and respect to be retained in
terminal cases...
…With your help, the APD will always be able to
reach out and render a professional service to those who
can't help themselves.
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