Received phone call, son qualifies for a wavier slot

[Bummer Knees]

My son Cody is now 12 yrs, he has been on the waitting list for the MR/DD wavier since he was 6 yrs. Cody has Autism, PDD-NOS, seizures, asthma, and ADHD.

With the wavier comes, attendant care, home/community supports, and a medicade card.

I am suprised this has happened now with the shape our state goverment is in. I am to make the decision if I want to accept the wavier slot for Cody next week.

[bodybuilder1958]

Unless the laws have changed you can pick certain services. Does Cody really require in home care? Community supports can be a good thing depending upon the agency. You definitely want the medicaire, without it for our son we'd be spending about $450. a month in meds and other things beyond our insurance.

The community support can take him out for job skills and socialization. The problem arises usually is that it's usually done during school hours and he'd be loosing out on his education. That's why I turned the community support down for Joshua. I've also seen a great deal of abuse even with the 4 different agencies that Josh has been served through. Not necessarily directed at him but other clients.

Choose carefully, find out what Cody needs and what would best suit him.

[Bummer Knees]

Right now the the family support program thru the waitting list we have attendant care services. His attendant care worker takes him to the YMCA to exercise while I go to physical therapy, doctor appts, or misc. Having this has worked well as Cody needs to work on being over weight and his low muscle tone.

THe community supports would also work well in the summer and school breaks, not school hours.

The medical card will be of great help, Cody has a large pharmacy bill making, if his pharmacy bills is extra high in a certian month I do not fill my own scripts.

I will only select the services that Cody needs, no more. But I have not made the decision if I will accept the wavier slot yet as if a another child needs if worse we may stay on the family support services allowing him to have a attendant worker a few hours a week with no medical card.

[bodybuilder1958]

For the family support is it possible that there are volunteer services for that? The church we attended in San Antonio had such services for parents with special needs kids. It was only 4 times a month but it was a God send for us. You had to be a member of the church to first qualify. The YMCA might have similar program, it's usually a group setting, sports, etc.

[Bummer Knees]

The family support is a program thru the CCDO which also administors the wavier program.

A child is placed on the family support program while on the waitting list for the wavier, Cody receives the family support services now. If I decide to keep him on the family support program and not the waviers program things will contine as is.

The family support program funds about 15-20 hours of attendant care a month for Cody. If county funding is short he will receive no services on the family support program, this has happened several times.

The up side to the wavier program is his medical card will remain in place even if cuts in supportve services were to happen, which they have not under the wavier.