Are you prepared for the future?

Hi friends and family,

I have been pondering a lot about what will happen when Jordan ages out of school aged services. Where will she go during the day? Who will provide therapeutic services to meet her physical needs. Will she have friends? Will she be lonely? What if something happens to me? Who will take over my duties? How will she earn a living? Who will take care of her? All these and so much more are daily questions that I ask myself constantly.

Let's face it, although we are born to die, there are other events that could occur which could leave you questioning your future or the future of your special needs family member. The first step is to have a social worker or a service coordinator who will provide services offered to meet their needs. Make sure you hold on to all documents pertaining to their condition and diagnosis. This will help find the appropriate program that will best suit the needs which should be available in annual IEP reports provided by your school district. Your local county's office for mental health are a great resource to use if your lost. Although your family member may not be mentally or physically to care for themselves, if you don't transition their insurance you may not be eligible to receive help in the home if needed, respite care, family support services, day habilitation, family reimbursement, and recreation. You will need a lawyer or someone who can provide estate planning to ensure your involvement in your family members needs, but primarily to ensure that they do not loose any services because of income guidelines.

Have you ever been to Walmart and greeted by individual in a wheelchair? His or hers direct connection to Walmart are from the efforts of agencies and organizations that provide work for the developmental disabled population. I will soon face this and the preparations involved tugs at the heart, and brings out the practical side within me. However, what must be done must be done to ensure that the charge God placed in my hands will go to a trustworthy source who will care for my daughter.

The web site coming will provide more detailed description and a check list of what to do for the future. Until we meet again, God bless during your preparation for the future!