Care Isn’t A Tragedy:

Thanks to Lucy Webster for this post idea.

I have received PCA services through Medicaid since I was around eight years old. People are often surprised that I am comfortable with needing such hands-on care. It isn’t easy to need help with dressing, showering, and toileting. I’ve never known any different. 

Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to shower and dress alone. Imagine employing a stranger to assist you in getting dressed, showering, and using the restroom. This is a reality in the lives of many disabled people. I never like hiring a new PCA because it’s uncomfortable at first. It’s uncomfortable when they have to help me use the bathroom for the first time. 

At the same time, my personal care assistants allow me to live life to the fullest. I wouldn’t have the same quality of life without my PCAs. Because of my live-in PCA, I’ve lived in my own apartment since August 2020. It was a dream come true for me. For a long time, I didn’t know if I’d be able to move out of my parent’s house.  My PCAs allow me to live life like any other 22-year-old. It’s because of their support that I’m not living in a nursing home. 

My PCAs allow me to attend college, go to the movies, go grocery shopping, and go out. If I didn’t have their support, I’d be stuck in the house all of the time. I know my PCAs don’t have an easy job. They have to help me with the most personal tasks. However, they all care so much about me. I’ve known some of them for years now. My PCAs know me very well. My live-in PCA knows what my favorite foods are and what juice flavors are my favorite. 

Living with Cerebral Palsy is hard at times. Needing help with activities of daily living isn’t easy, but it’s just a part of my life. I am forever grateful to every PCA I’ve worked with. PCAs help people with disabilities live their lives to the fullest.