Kinks in the Road

We've experienced some kinks in the road during this initial three weeks that Sharon has been in transitional living. Overall it is a wonderful experience for her. She has great roommates and a great program manager (who comes to the house Monday through Friday for a full day each day). Sharon visits with her caseworker a few times a week and every couple of weeks she sees the nurse.

The kinks: 1) I think that Pioneer is used to parents not being interested in continuing care for their child so they are left to take over 100% of the transition. Not so with us and we have found that decisions are being made that not only are we not informed about, but when we find out what decisions have been made, we are not happy campers. 2) Sharon seems to think that now that she is on her own, she does not have to report to her brother; her brother is still her legal guardian and there is no question that he is the final say. 3) The exercise prediction has come true; Sharon, the very next day was already displaying issues with her ankle and, we found out later, took advice from the nurse (which was counter to what our doctor had told her to do) and so Sharon decided to only follow the nurse's advice...her advice? Wrap the ankle in an elastic bandage and let's see. Needless to say...we were furious! Furious at the nurse because she took it upon herself to make the decision without checking with us first and furious with Sharon even moreso because she was looking for the easy way out. 4) Money. Sharon has no concept of budget at this point and this house seems to like to go out for meals as well as go out to shop. We are having Sharon track her money and she is at the point of, "well, if you run out, you run out."

I do have to say that I am having an interesting view of social services as it relates to food at the moment. There is more damn food in that house than I think I have had in my house in a year. No. I am NOT kidding. I think that this is a misleading factor for people who are in transitional living. Possibly sounding harsh here (okay, knowing I am), but it seems to me that they should experience a little of the struggles to put food on the table because that is what their real world may end up like. But they have the ability to take advantage of the Food Pantry (okay, I realize I technically do too, but I don't believe we are so hard up that we need to take away from those that are more in need than we), they take advantage of the food bank and the girls have subsidy as well.

Sharon lost her job last week. The store she was working for downsized staff for the season and now she is no longer employed. She gets enough SS to make it through her rent and then a little, but there are going to be times that things are tight.

Last challenge...we are moving. I accepted a job in Wisconsin which I started last week and, God willing, my husband will get offered a job next week and they will be up here in the next three weeks. How do we work the Guardianship from a distance? We aren't completely sure just yet. We know at some point that we will do just Power of Attorney or something of the like, but for now we want to keep the control until things level out...

Perhaps one of you have experienced distant Guardianship?