How can families of someone with a spinal cord injury evaluate potential caregivers? - Patti Rogers, SW

That’s a tough question because if you don’t know the right questions to ask, then obviously you’re not going to be able to evaluate something. Having a case management program, our case managers try to assist the individual with a spinal cord injury and their family. We have a little booklet that says, “Here are the things you need to ask the caregiver, here are the things that you need to ask if you’re using an agency.” It is tough because obviously they’re not getting paid a whole lot of money—they might be making eight bucks or ten bucks an hour, and they can go to McDonald’s and make that. So you have to think about you’re not always going to get the person who is dedicated. I think that’s one thing that makes families a little standoffish because they’re worried—“I don’t know if my husband, or my daughter or my son’s going to be safe when I leave this person alone.” We suggest that they stay in contact with the supervisors and the agency itself, and as soon as they indicate that there’s a problem, call them immediately. Don’t wait weeks and months.