Now I Remember And MORE

As I was cleaning the bathroom floor with Clorox early this morning, I remembered why I began the search for a group home. It IS the right decision for both of us.

AD is a disease which kills brain cells and is unpredictable, inconsistent, and degenerative in nature (MY observations at best).

Today I received an email from Lizzie's State social worker/case manager telling me her supportive living arrangements are being terminated. It read: "I received a letter from Trinity stating that they are no longer able to provide services to Lizzy as she has deteriorated beyond a point where they can justify training her."

Now I ask, who makes this type of decision? Supportive Living Arrangements (SLA) is the term for one of the state funded assistance programs for disabled persons. It allows the person to receive a benefit which provides daily living type training skills and social involvement within the community while living at home with family members. My sister has been granted this benefit for the past 4 years which provides services for 39 hours/month. She looks forward with anticipation to her weekend outings with her provider/trainer, and now somebody says she can't do that anymore because her cognitive skills are fading? OMGoodness! She can still process information in the moment to some degree sometimes, but does that mean we stop trying to allow her the dignity of trying new things for herself with assistance forever? Where is the respect for the aging? Where is the tolerance for those less able as days go by?

Oh that's right ... wait a second ... how could I not get it ... she's declining ... therefore ... not entitled any more.

I won't begin to discuss the population I see at the welfare office every year when I go down there to turn in her paperwork.

I'm angry, bitter, disappointed, frustrated, and just down-right hostile right about now!