How do any of you caregivers have jobs? Where does the child go while you are working? I can’t even send my son to school.
Cant speak for anyone else--but my son was diagnosed at 19, and I was divorced with 2 other kids. He was already out there on his own-sort of. Some of us dont have a choice.
How are you able to stay home? How old is your son?
I stay at home with him. We live on his $700 a month disability check and $314 food stamps. It pays for bare essentials and nothing else. If someone needs shoes, there’s no toilet paper. He was kicked out of preschools when he was younger and the school would call often for me to run up and deal with crisis after crisis until I pulled him out to homeschool 2 years ago. There is just no caregiver I know of that could watch him while I worked. And I doubt I could find a job that paid well enough for a nurse with training. Idk. I just wondered how others do it. He is now 14. He’s been symptomatic since 2 1/2.
So sorry to hear that. I know its hard. Im so glad you homeschooled him. In my area, we have something called k-12-which is basically school on computer. Its public type school and its free.
It`s very hard whether you stay home or not. I hope you have some support going for you. How many children do you have?
I have two kids. My daughter 12 goes to public school. My son is 14. And he has deteriorated to the point he can’t remember his alphabet or letter sounds, which I suppose is why they told me to stop trying to teach core subjects. His last IQ test he scored 68. And that was at a point he was lucid and clear. And yes, I can’t imagine dealing a job on top of all the other worries. I just get wistful for the presence of other adults and money for necessities sometimes.
I just started working again. I did not work for two years, and endured many financial sacrifices. For a while I had tried to work, my daughter was not left unattended-I had family and friends “sit” (she was too sick to make the connection that was going on). Plus my husband has been recovering from a TBI (sustained at the same time my daughter became psychotic-of course, right?) so neither one of them was safe alone. My husband had dementia like symptoms and would wonder-my daughter would wonder also-good thing they never wondered at the same time. As it was it was ridiculous how often the cops and EMTs were called to my house. Seriously, it was like “Hello again, weren’t you the one who was here last month? I knew I knew you!”
I was the caregiver for both. But no one who would ‘sit’ could handle it-quite honestly, and I would still get called home for crisis after crisis between the two of them until I couldn’t do it anymore.
But they both are doing better now and so I’m working again. I really don’t think either one needs me there anymore, although sometimes certain things would be easier if I were. But I’m sick of doing medical and domestic things all the time almost exclusively too and not being productive outside of this house, and I am sick of being broke, so here I am, back in the workforce.
Lisa, your son is lucky to have you. I hope things get better for you soon.
Hi Melissa. Welcome to the forum. Glad you found it/us.
I was working and after taking a break, I stayed off of work to help my son. I have been lucky that my husband’s income was able to support us although we have gone into dept but manageable.
Try to take some you-time. Even if it’s reading a good romance novel while having a bath.
@theLissachick , I gave up my job when my adult son came to live with us. We are doing well financially and the reason why my son is doing well is because I am home watching him. He is a full time college student. I don’t think We could leave my son alone and go to work. He has dual diagnosis. I keep pretty busy , walking 4.5 miles everyday among other things. Hang in there, things will get better. Nothing stays the same. There is a lot of support here so I am glad you found this site. Good luck!