My apologies for posting a non DB subject. But this is CONSUMING me and I would like some input. Especially since I am now living far away from my friends and I can't post this on a social forum.
I moved up north a year ago. I love it here for almost all reasons. But the one thing that has been difficult is the Nursing Agency I am using for my son. The owner/supervisor DRIVES ME NUTS!
When I was moving - I lined up an agency. It had not been easy finding one that met all of my son's medical needs. About a month before we moved - that agency pulled out - stating they were short staffed. They put us on to another agency who agreed to provide the services we needed for the same cost as we currently had.
Just as we were making the move - the new agency told me they actually had to charge us a bit more than we were paying - about 10% more, actually. Then I learned we were also paying $28 a day in "transportation" fees. UGH - but we had no choice. Said agency got involved from the first minute we arrived - literally - on moving day with app 8 people here to learn about Ryan and train with the one staff I brought from home for a day.
One month into it - the new agency was audited and it seems they now had to charge us tax on the services. Another 7%. This huge hit was nearly the last straw. But once again - we had no choice. I had to dip into savings to manage and also accrued a bit of debt. I figured that when my son's insurance increased (once per year) and our handicapped van was paid off (this fall) we would be ok.
Yesterday I received some startling news. After fighting the Taxes for a year - the agency is going to not have to charge us tax on their service. BONUS! And we can apply to get the last year's tax back. Another bonus. (No guarantee we can get it back though). HOWEVER... They have decided to increase their rates by $4 per hour!!! That works out to similar to what we have been paying. So they are trying to snow me into believing I can pay it. SO - they are going to pocket our savings!!!
This agency owner/supervisor drives me NUTS> she is totally inflexible. It has been her way or the highway for the past year. I have nearly lost my mind. Previous agency supervisors I might hear from app every 6 weeks but this one - hardly a day goes by that she does not call me about something. To me it is like her fingernails are scraping the blackboard. The stress is killing me. She has also aggressively driven every therapist, medical sales person etc CRAZY with her demands for Ryan.
Her demands have included numerous other costs to me in the past year including a motorized wheelchair at 12 grand, ceiling lifts of more than a grand, hospital bed, shower chair etc etc etc. She has absolutely no concept of my budget (which I tell her every day) and wants what she wants when she wants it. She also puts great demands on my time - calling me in to look at him constantly or putting more demands on me during the night. (I am a very involved Mom - if I think my son needs me - I'm there - I don't need to be TOLD).
So she tells me the extra costs are to go mostly to my workers. They are to get $3 an hour increase. She says it is the only way they will stay. At present they are making app the same as most other PSW in the area. She says the care Ryan needs is greater than they should have to do.
My other son recently started a new job with a wage increase of $1.50 per hour. He is over the moon. Where does someone go up $3 an hour with no warning??? Am I being naive??
Calls to other agencies a year ago and one last month started off well but dwindled when Ryan's needs were discussed in depth. I am back to the phones again though. Maybe doing some of the work myself would be better than caving in to her demands and getting that monkey off my back.
I really need some input here. How to deal with someone so demanding and unreasonable. I will give her this - the care is great for Ryan. Not so much for me. How do I put a price on the care? And what if I change agencies and something happens to him. I would have to live with that.
