COMPANIONS

Wheelchair

LIFE

There are well-trained service animals, such as dogs and monkeys that are playing bigger roles in assisting those who are inconvenienced by  wheelchairs, and others. I personally do not utilize service animals, so I'm not much help in that regard. But there is plenty of information available on the World Wide Web. If you know of any especially good (or especially bad) providers, please let us know through the Feedback section. Thank you.

What I can tell you about is a fairly unique living arrangement I have devised. I bought a five bedroom house, and have three roommates who live in my home, as my guests, for no rent. They assist me with things that I cannot physically do. They help me with the evening meal when I'm not out having dinner in a restaurant or at a friend's (my nurses grab me a quick little breakfast after they get me up, and my legal assistant gets lunch). My roommates also help me get in bed, and at least one of them is home through the night, in case I need something or an emergency arises. They also take care of the normal upkeep of the house and yard. I pay one half of the electric bill, because I am the primary user. They kick-in one-sixth each. This helps them remain cognizant of the need to keep costs down. My roommates also drive me in my van when my regular driver is unavailable, evenings and weekends.

This system has worked remarkably well over the years. Of course, as you might expect, we've had some roommates that didn't work out so well. We've had some criminals that we had to ask to leave immediately, after we discovered they were stealing (we now get $50 and do a background check for each new roommate). We've also had some slackers who just did not grasp the fact that they had a fantastic deal and needed to uphold their end of the bargain. But for the most part, we've had great roommates, some are now lifelong friends. We've had both males and females, but primarily it has been college and post college-aged guys who have expressed interest and followed through. We ask for a one-year commitment and a one month's notice that they intend to move out. Some stay a short while. Others have stayed for five years and longer. The average is about two years. Whatever the length of stay, it's an outstanding way for young people to get established and save a lot of money for a down-payment on a home of their own. It works best when all three roommates get along, and try to contribute more, rather than less. We generally have a good time. It also allows me to do some mentoring.

I came up with this arrangement because I did not want the sterile atmosphere of 'round-the-clock nursing-care. I figured if I owned my own home, why not utilize that resource to get accomplished those things I cannot do myself? When I get older (and cranky), I'm not sure how many young people will want to be my roommate. I'm sure that I'll explore sharing my home with families on the same sort of basis. I know I don't want to live in a nursing home type setting, but I may not have other options. I will continue to look for creative new ways to adapt and overcome. Hope you will too.

If this type of arrangement is not an option for you, there are agencies that will provide companions, house-keepers, shoppers, aides, and nurses for-hire.

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