My day yesterday
Sep. 6th, 2013 12:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stonebenderMy morning attendant gave her two week notice Tuesday. I haven't had to look for new workers much in my life. I tend to hang on to the ones I hire and often before they leave my employment they have another family member or friend who wants the job. To me this is nice for stability sake, but he does make me feel like whatever abilities I need to interview and higher a new worker atrophy before I need to use them. So here I am in the unusual position of needing to higher a new person. In the old days there used to be an informal network of people with disabilities who knew who was looking for work or needed more hours etc. etc.
Although I'm not completely disconnected with my local peeps with disabilities the community is not what it once was or maybe, I'm not what I once was. So I'm forced to write ads and apply to attendant referral programs. At first, I thought I would go to Center for Independent Living in Berkeley but I am apparently not living in their territory anymore. I was told I needed to apply to Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL) in Hayward.
Back in the day, I used to go to CRIL semi-regularly for community meetings of one sort or another, but I'm surprised to admit I haven't found myself going there in over 10 years. Anyway, I called them up to apply for their attendant referral. Got voicemail, in fact I haven't got anything but voicemail from them. They don't appear to have a receptionist answering the phone. I guess that's how things go now but I don't like it. Anyway, I left a message at 10 o'clock on Tuesday and didn't receive a response.
Wednesday, I tried calling again. Got voicemail, but went through the process of finding the employee responsible for attendant referral and left a message in her voice mailbox. Again no return call, so I decided to physically go to CRIL on Thursday. Normally this wouldn't be a big issue but my old wheelchair is on its last gasp. I got stranded a few weeks ago with no battery power. I got home okay, but that kind thing worries me. Now I don't trust the old wheelchair but the new wheelchair won't be ready until next Monday. At the time I didn't want to wait until Monday to get myself registered with CRIL's attendant referral. So I decided to chance a trip there.
Carol was able to give me a ride to the San Leandro BART, so I wouldn't have to drive too far in the old wheelchair. I looked up CRIL on Google and thought I knew where I was going. Thursday Carol drove me to BART, I rode it to the Hayward station. Found A street and went the wrong way. I have the best sense of direction. :-) After six or seven blocks I started realizing I must be lost. I did a 180° and headed back to BART. As I retraced my steps, I remembered that I had to cross a railroad track. Saw one in the distance on the way back to the Hayward BART station and decided to take a shot.
Once I crossed the railroad track, things started looking familiar and it turned out CRIL was no more than a couple blocks from BART, if I had gone the right way. I entered the building and found a receptionist and asked about attendant referral.
The receptionist said that the woman I needed to talk to was in a meeting and would be going to another meeting soon after. So she suggested I talk to another person just to do the intake. I waited for the second person and after about 10 minutes that person said they were leaving for the day, but that there was a third person I could talk to. Soon after that the third person showed up, but seemed to approach the conversation as an annoyance to get out of the way as soon as possible. He seemed to be more interested in talking me out of applying for services. After not too long a time I assured him that my need for services was within their responsibility and he wandered off trying to find, I assume, a fourth person to foist me on to. I guess eventually the actual person responsible for attendant referral gave in and decided to talk to me.
All she would do was set up an appointment to do intake. She wasn't available Friday, so now I'm scheduled to do a phone intake on Monday. When I told her I have left two messages, she denied getting them. It's one of those conversations that never goes anywhere. I know I left both passages, perhaps the voicemail ate them, but insisting doesn't get me anywhere. I'm left feeling ignored whether or not I actually have been. Now we'll see if I actually get a call from CRIL on Monday.
I just hate hiring people. Having strangers come to my house. Trying to figure out if I'll be comfortable with them. Will I be able to rely on them to show up. Figuring out how long they will stay so I don't have to go through this crap again too soon. Fun, fun, fun.
Although I'm not completely disconnected with my local peeps with disabilities the community is not what it once was or maybe, I'm not what I once was. So I'm forced to write ads and apply to attendant referral programs. At first, I thought I would go to Center for Independent Living in Berkeley but I am apparently not living in their territory anymore. I was told I needed to apply to Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL) in Hayward.
Back in the day, I used to go to CRIL semi-regularly for community meetings of one sort or another, but I'm surprised to admit I haven't found myself going there in over 10 years. Anyway, I called them up to apply for their attendant referral. Got voicemail, in fact I haven't got anything but voicemail from them. They don't appear to have a receptionist answering the phone. I guess that's how things go now but I don't like it. Anyway, I left a message at 10 o'clock on Tuesday and didn't receive a response.
Wednesday, I tried calling again. Got voicemail, but went through the process of finding the employee responsible for attendant referral and left a message in her voice mailbox. Again no return call, so I decided to physically go to CRIL on Thursday. Normally this wouldn't be a big issue but my old wheelchair is on its last gasp. I got stranded a few weeks ago with no battery power. I got home okay, but that kind thing worries me. Now I don't trust the old wheelchair but the new wheelchair won't be ready until next Monday. At the time I didn't want to wait until Monday to get myself registered with CRIL's attendant referral. So I decided to chance a trip there.
Carol was able to give me a ride to the San Leandro BART, so I wouldn't have to drive too far in the old wheelchair. I looked up CRIL on Google and thought I knew where I was going. Thursday Carol drove me to BART, I rode it to the Hayward station. Found A street and went the wrong way. I have the best sense of direction. :-) After six or seven blocks I started realizing I must be lost. I did a 180° and headed back to BART. As I retraced my steps, I remembered that I had to cross a railroad track. Saw one in the distance on the way back to the Hayward BART station and decided to take a shot.
Once I crossed the railroad track, things started looking familiar and it turned out CRIL was no more than a couple blocks from BART, if I had gone the right way. I entered the building and found a receptionist and asked about attendant referral.
The receptionist said that the woman I needed to talk to was in a meeting and would be going to another meeting soon after. So she suggested I talk to another person just to do the intake. I waited for the second person and after about 10 minutes that person said they were leaving for the day, but that there was a third person I could talk to. Soon after that the third person showed up, but seemed to approach the conversation as an annoyance to get out of the way as soon as possible. He seemed to be more interested in talking me out of applying for services. After not too long a time I assured him that my need for services was within their responsibility and he wandered off trying to find, I assume, a fourth person to foist me on to. I guess eventually the actual person responsible for attendant referral gave in and decided to talk to me.
All she would do was set up an appointment to do intake. She wasn't available Friday, so now I'm scheduled to do a phone intake on Monday. When I told her I have left two messages, she denied getting them. It's one of those conversations that never goes anywhere. I know I left both passages, perhaps the voicemail ate them, but insisting doesn't get me anywhere. I'm left feeling ignored whether or not I actually have been. Now we'll see if I actually get a call from CRIL on Monday.
I just hate hiring people. Having strangers come to my house. Trying to figure out if I'll be comfortable with them. Will I be able to rely on them to show up. Figuring out how long they will stay so I don't have to go through this crap again too soon. Fun, fun, fun.
