The state of California has a program called In Home Support Services (IHSS). This is a program to help people with disabilities remain in their own home or to help pay for out of home care. We are eligible for this due to Sophie's diagnosis.
Like so many state funded programs the paperwork is very overwhelming, at times it is exhausting. The maze to complete the initial paperwork required me to think positive, read, read, read, give myself daily pep talks and ask several friends for help. Eighteen months ago I completed everything including the half day training required for me to be Sophie's care provider. Things have been going along swimmingly, well that is until the last week of December.
Bill is a fantastic husband. He enjoys sweeping, vacuuming and "tidying up". It's that last one that gets us all in trouble. I am the type of worker who enjoys lists and small to do piles. As I work here at home I lay things out that I need to take care of or that require some kind attention. This system has worked fine for us for over twenty years, I mean it did work except for this calamitous day in December.
On Sunday December 28, 2014 I was getting all my paperwork in order for the coming week when I noticed my new time sheet from IHSS was missing. I began to move things around looking for it, Sophie's homework, a note pad, a party invitation......nothing. My search became more frenzied and I moved to my desk to look...nothing. Please understand I am in no way now or was I then accusing Bill of tossing this most important piece of paper but he does have a reputation for "cleaning up". The discussion that followed is a whole different blog suffice it to say no one has claimed responsibility for touching the time sheet.
All right I'll just call in the morning and request a new one, this must have happened to other people.
Monday December 29 I begin calling at 9:00am. I placed 65 calls all with no answer or a machine telling me how important my call is and to please hold the line. I am patient I can make phone calls I will just try again in the morning.
Tuesday December 30 I call at 9am to hear the same message as the day before. 9:10am I call again and a live person answers the phone! I explain to the woman that my time card has been misplaced and request a new one. She informs me that I must call a Ms Jones* and proceeds to give me her number. I am feeling a bit smug now as I think, Piece of cake one more call and I am done. I dial Ms Jones number only to be greeted by her voice mail. Let me explain this voice mail message of hers; It begins with a sound as if the phone is being thrown onto the floor then comes her voice. To say she speaks slowly is an understatement. Read this as slow as you can to get the idea, "hello this is Ms Jones. I cannot take your call now.....but if you leave me a message I will call you back in two business days....if I do not call you back in two business days please call my supervisor Ms Smith* at three.....one....oh....five....five...five...six....two...four...nine........." So I leave a message with my name, my child's name, my provider number, my case number, my phone number and a request for a replacement time card.
January 2, 2015 I have not received my return call and it has been more than two business days so I call Ms Jones again, wait through the long message and once again leave my information. There was a holiday during the week and I don't want her to get into trouble so I decide not to call Ms Smith. I hang up thinking I am sure she will call this afternoon.
January 6, 2015 Still no call back. Once again I call Ms Jones, the message now seems endless. I feel as if I have been on the phone for an hour before I hear the beep- again I leave my message with a urging in my voice to call back. I now decide that it is time to call her supervisor Ms Smith, no more playing nice she must learn to return calls. I dial Ms Smith her phone rings and rings and rings. There is no answer and no message. I call back. This time there is a message, she too is unable to answer the phone but assures me that she will return my call in two business days, if she fails to return my call I am instructed to call HER supervisor Ms Johnson. I jot the number down sure I won't need it.
January 9 No calls! None! I begin again, first Ms Jones and her drawn-out message. I am not holding back today next I dial Ms Smith leave her another message remaindering her that this is my second call to her and I have yet to hear back from Ms Jones even though more than two business days have passed. Now for the big guns Ms Johnson. I will be sweet and polite, assure her that the other ladies are probably just busy and while I don't want to be a pest I really do need my replacement time card. I take a deep breath and her phone just rings. It rings for almost five straight minutes before a voice comes on to tell me her mailbox is full. FULL?!?!?!?!? No chance to leave my message, no promise of a call in two business days nothing!
January 13 Desperate I call my friend, another special needs mom, who also receives IHSS and ask her what to do. "Don't go there'! she yells, "I lost my card once and went there and they won't even look at you. Here call these two numbers" I call the two numbers she has given me. The first one is out for an undetermined amount of time but feel free to leave a message, I leave a message. The second has a message proclaiming her the head of IHSS time sheets (yes) she also asks me to leave a message with all my information and numbers etcetera and she will call me back.....in two business days. I am beginning to lose it a little.
January 16 I make the rounds of calls again. Now my voice is sad and hope is fading that I will receive a call in two business days.
January 20 No calls made or received
January 26 I begin my calls at 9am. When I get to the beep on Ms Jones' voice mail I beg, BEG her to call me back. I actually say, "I am BEGGING you to call me back!!!! If you can not help me please tell me who can"
January 28 Emily tells me to call my union. Yep, us long term care providers have a union. I call. The lovely woman who promptly answers her phone tells me to call...a Ms Jones. I quickly explain that I have been calling her, her supervisor, her supervisors supervisor. She puts me on hold. When she calls back she advises me to call my social worker. I look for his number and call him. I get his voice mail.....He will return my call in two business days.
January 29 This was a gut wrenching very hard day for me and the family. We attended a memorial for a young man we all loved very much. Feelings and tensions were running high by the time we returned home. I was sobbing. Bill was crying. Emily was crying. We began to argue among ourselves, My emotions boil over and I cry, body shaking sobs when my phone rings I pick it up and am about to hit the silence button when I notice the number.....the very familiar looking number. This is my chance! My one and only chance! Pull it together I tell myself. I go from crying to a very clear, very professional, "Hello" in a half a second. It's my social worker!!!!! Replacement time cards he asks? Sure, I'll send them right out! He called back and in only one business day!!!!
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