BLOG : Amidst the Tumult, Take Time to Listen

With all the changes that have been happening with the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services program, Consumers have had a difficult time finding qualified Personal Assistants to take care of them, and on the other side, Personal Assistants find the pay frustrating. While Concepts and others across New York State are demanding proper funding to raise PA wages, in the meantime many are enduring some hardships.

Working as a Peer Mentor, I help Consumers find creative solutions in their attempts to find new PAs, as well as other resources. However, sometimes I’m the person who simply listens. Searching for a new Personal Assistant can be a very frustrating process, and as a person goes through it, sometimes they just need another person to listen to them. Not only have I heard from Consumers needing assistance with the recruiting process, but there have been many times where they need to vent to me about more personal issues whether it be health or family. Personal Assistants have also contacted me to just talk about all types of issues: financial, family, sadness over the loss of a Consumer, or just overall frustration with the process of finding a new Consumer.

Listening to someone can help them relieve stress and give them the ability to think with a clear head. If part of my position here at Concepts of Independence helps Consumers and PAs in this way, I am glad for it and am committed to continuing it. That we all sometimes need someone just to listen to us is an important lesson I learned through working as a Peer Mentor. Not only has this affected the way I work, but the way I live.

As the holidays are coming up upon us now, and in the midst of a divisive time for the country and a tumultuous time for Consumer Direction, listening is essential to moving forward and finding both peace and solutions within ourselves.

Written by Jose Hernandez