Quote Originally Posted by SCI-Nurse View Post
Who pays for the CNAs you have now?

Have you considered going back to school or to work?

There is really no reason that you need to have 24/7 someone with you. Moms tend to be over-protective. I know of no state program that would provide you 24/7 care unless you are on a ventilator. Most people at your level of injury who live along have someone who comes in the AM and helps with bathing, bowel/bladder/skin, dressing and transfers in 2-4 hours, then they have someone else who comes in the evening to put them to bed (1-2 hours). Often one of these people also prepares meals that you can heat up in a microwave or take out of the frig when they are not there. Few people have someone who stays the night. Finding live-in help is very difficult, esp. unless you have the resources to rent a 2 bedroom apt. or house and provide them with room and board as part of their pay. This means you need to be able to use a cell phone or other emergency system to call for help at night when you are alone and in bed.

Here is where you can find a list of Independent Living Centers in your state. They can provide you with information, advocacy, and resources to help you live independently in the community.


We have accumen and they pay our cna's, but we are in charge of hiring/firing the CNA's and doing their payroll. It's a pretty good system. It allows me to get a lot of hours. But I really don't need 24/7 care. I could definitely make it with people coming in only in the morning and night and on some days in the evenings also. My biggest hurdle is my bowl program. I do my bowl program every four days at night time and it takes 3-4 hours. Finding someone and paying them to do that is the hardest part.

Thank you for the independent living center website link. I will check it out.

I would like to work, but I don't want to lose my medicaid. I have worked at my friends cell phone store some, and I like that. It's easy enough, but unfortunately they can't work me very often.

I did some online college at the Art Institute, but I dropped out after a year. It was really hard, even with a light schedule. But then again I was going to the wound clinic then and that took up a lot of my time. It was also crazy expensive. I still owe them like $11,000. So now I wonder if someone would even lend me the money to go back to school.

I have this problem with my body though. Many days, my body feel so tight and stiff. It makes it hard to even type. I feel double paralyzed on those days. But I am thinking about getting a baclofen pump put it, and I heard that that will help.

And thanks for all your help. Your replies have really helped me over the years (even when I used different screen names).