A support worker PSA rant.

 

Ok let’s talk and this is something that I need to get off my chest that some of you in the care industry shouldn’t be hear. I want to talk about something that happened this morning and the impact it had on me to the point I just collapsed crying outside, I finally have the courage to say what I need to say and that is that low support needs doesn’t mean no support needs. It means a lower level of support is needed.

I know that I am an adult and able to cope with big girl tasks but when asking for help its your fucking job, is it that hard when I ask for help to do your fucking job, I waited 2hr and I just realised no one is coming to save me I am in a sil house ( basically a group home for people with disabilities for readers outside Aust and I  have realised no one besides my family is coming to help.

Even when they are paid and its there fucking job, but there are some exceptions of staff in the house but generally I have realised I don’t ask for help because the other staff see me as the problem and that they have to go down stairs to help me, so I don’t ask, and this is what they call care resistance and it happens more than you think.

Care resistance is when someone has asked that many times or is used to having no support it feels lazy to ask for help so they don’t ask and are in pain or tired so they don’t ask and it makes them more isolated because of pain.

So this is your PSA if you’re a support worker check on your low support needs clients as they may be silent drowning and they many not ask for help because when they do it’s not given or they are made to feel bad for it.  I  have given up, but my infomal support nextwork is brilliant and is filling in the gaps in a massive way and they are a god send and I have realised this isn’t all about support needs it’s about me not being where I want to be in life as its mothers day tomorrow and I am trying to not feel bad because I made decisions that put me out of the dating pool and I consetrated on working when I could date freely and disability and loneliness does go hand in hand.

I just had a good cry to my house manager / main support worker and that has really helped me as they are going to have a house meeting about my needed not being met and I know that some of you in the care industry are brilliant but this is why trauma and abuse isn’t reported we accept that it’s a roof over our head and that we have meals and clean clothes but it took a lot out of me to change my bed and I know I can do it but they help would have been nice and it’s something that support workers need to be very aware of that it’s your job to help. Not to sit in the office and study. I want to know why people think that is ok.

I also have what they call post restraint collapse and I have never heard the term but it makes sense to me and its when you have been masking so hard that you collapse with the big emotions you have been holding in, like a kid that as soon as they get home from school they just collapse or cry because your there safe space, this I know is my safe space and I know that people need to work and some need extra training but some seriously what are you doing as a support worker if you can’t find what took less than 5minutes to do.

I am at a loss to how people think this is OK and why I am so upset about it, but it might just be pain and tiredness talking.  But put physical and emotional pain together and you get a bad combo like I am feeling right now.

But it’s not all  bad having good training and situational awareness and knowing your clients is what makes a good support team and I have that in my community access team, but in my housing team they need a little more training and yes care giving is hard but when you sign up please go in with your eyes open that if they are in an environment were care is expected then you need to be caring for all and not favouring one client over the  other.