Nick’s been out of DayHab since covid started. He’s currently on the list for Seven Hills up near Worcester Airport.
We’ve toured Venture in Southbridge. It’s not terrible, but not as nice as Seven Hills.
PCA hours will be reduced when he goes back.
I go through the Department of Developmental Services to enroll him in a Day Habilitation program.
His stomach needs to be vented (air) by the nurse every 30 minutes. The nurse needs an order from his doctor. Primary doctor or gastroenterologist.
Rarely do the drivers know how to secure the wheelchair to the van and put on a seatbelt correctly. Nick wears the harness that attached to his wheelchair (stored for now on the inside of his closet door) AND the vehicle seatbelt. I put on the wheelchair harness. The drivers always have to be instructed, more than once, on how to put on a freaking seatbelt. I have seen them omit it completely, have it over and under his arm instead of across his shoulder, lap belt way up on his abdomen….rarely on properly until they’ve been trained, several times. It’s a complete nightmare. I even show up, unannounced at the program at the end of his day when he’s getting on the van to make sure they do it properly until I’m comfortable with their performance. It’s absurd. Seriously. A total nightmare.
I have also found that the vans aren’t properly maintained. I check the tires, look at the dash for lights, etc.. I’ve seen completely bald tires, complained to the company (JYL Transportation at the time-they are horrendous) and had the manager there lie and tell me the tires are fine, all while refusing to even look at them. Hopefully he never gets JYL for transportation again. I’d be surprised if he does because I’ve complained to them so much, pulled him off of the van several times because of bad equipment and idiot drivers. He even got home at 5:00 once (due home by 3:30)….van located by GPS in Leicester where it didn’t belong. They finally dropped him and he got a new transportation company.