I could just KILL Wheeler! The story ....
M (our new PCA) came over yesterday and was here for 3.5 hours, and I spent all of that time showing him how to do range of motion, how to shower him, how to do cathing/bag draining, and bowel care. Much to this kid's credit, he didn't flinch at all and I asked him very point blank if he was OK with the bowel stuff, he said absolutely. In fact, he wants to be a nurse - how perfect for all of us eh? He did a great job, was very enthusiastic and seemed to be a nice kid.
Today, Offspring and I went to a water park about 1.5 hours away and I left Wheeler here with M, the new PCA. What a concept - I could GO somewhere and STAY there and HAVE FUN with my kid!!!!! So that was GREAT, just amazing. As I have always done for PCAs in the past, I left a list of things to do, which were: range of motion (30 mins), feed him breakfast (30 mins), walk the dogs (10 mins), straighten up the back patio (10 mins tops), do the dishes (15 mins), sweep the downstairs hardwood floors (15 mins) and keep the laundry moving - I had about 6 loads to do. So, when I came home at 5:30 - having left at 8:45 am, I noticed the back porch was clean ... yay! I'd told him this was the lowest priority, so I knew everything else got done, right? Walked in, lots of folded laundry (although less than I expected), great. I walked to the kitchen to see my sparkling clean sink with allllll the dishes done .... ummmmm, no.
Kitchen and sink exactly as I'd left them 8.75 hours before, floors not sweeped (not that I was counting the time .... eh hum... $10, $20, .... $80.75 ). Hmmmmmm. Maybe there was a problem? I walk in the bedroom, they are both sitting there watching TV. Wheeler was in bed, which I expected, I hadn't shown M how to get Wheeler up and use the leg bag yet. But there was alot not done and I was pretty irked. But, I didn't let it show because I didn't know what was going on and it really was more or less his first day, so I waited until he left to ask Wheeler what the ehch-ee-double-hockey-sticks M did today since he could have done everything I'd asked in 2 hours tops, other than laundry, which is just 10 mins of folding every 45-60 mins as things dry/wash.
"Ohhhhh." Wheeler says. "I guess its because I sat and talked to him for a few hours, and then we got talking about horror movies and vampire flicks, so I told him to turn on True Blood" (on HBO on demand) "and we watched almost 3 episodes."
AS IN YOU PAID HIM TO WATCH TV FOR 3 HOURS?????????
"Oh. Ummmm, well, yeah, I guess I did".
OK, I would like to KILL Wheeler about now!!!! So, I told Wheeler that from here on out, I would show him the list I leave for M, and if and only if, 100% of the things on the list are complete can M dilly dally and chat for a little bit only - and that M needs to take initiative to find other things to do if he finishes everything I ask him to do.
BUT .... with all that being said, it did work out well in terms that I was able to leave and go have fun with my kid all day. It just irked me because I was soooo looking forward to a clean house when I got back. So I'll focus on those good parts and I'm sure it will improve from here.
Edited to add two days later: Hse was supposed to come Saturday at 11 am to get Wheeler showered, up, etc. At 11:47 pm on Friday night he called me. I'm very sure he thought it would go to my voicemail, but I am a night owl and nearly always answer my phone even at 1 am. So, I picked up, he hemmed and hahhhed for a second then asked me what time he was supposed to come over tomorrow (Sat). I said 11 am. Then he said that he had been soooooo sick, all day long, and could he come later? He said he'd been at his mom's all day, he'd been throwing up, etc etc.
Bullshit. He was drunk. He was slurring his words and was quite obviously soused.
So I said that if he was sick, do not come over because I don't want him to spread anything to us, that is a cardinal rule for PCAs - do NOT show up for work if you are sick. I hung up and was uber mad. I HATE BEING LIED TO. Even if he hadn't been obviously drunk when he called, calling at midnight to your employer to ask when you are to work the next day - which was his second day on the job???? How hard is that to remember? And he couldn't have called earlier in the day if he was truly sick? Yeah right. I was pissed.
To call his bluff, I called his mom the next day (I have her number, he lives there) and left a message to see "how M was feeling, as I know he was feeling sick all day and I'm worried about him". She didn't return the call. But then M called today and said unsolicited that actually, it was his sister who took care of him, that he was at her place, not his mom's, as he had said the day before. Hmmmmmmmmm. Me thinks Mommy asked M about his "illness" and Ma had to proactively tell me another story in case Mom calls me back.
I am just disillusioned. I was really hoping this would work out, but I think it will be just like all the other times with crapola PCAs. And so I'll be back to square zero on help.
Oh well.
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