Since bringing my father Fathaali, 83 and my mother Shirinkhanu, 86 to Calgary from Edmonton, I have discovered Self Managed Care. I chose Self Managed Care for both my parents and my disabled sister, Azmina, as I found Self Managed Care allowed me to choose the right caregiver for my family and create a schedule that works for us. Now, with Self Managed Care, I find that I have more control over my time and I have more support in caring for my family.
Self Managed Care seems scary at first as you have to be on top of a lot of paperwork, but I felt a lot more comfortable after the orientation that AHS provided. There are a lot of supports, such as your case manager and people to help with finances who you can consult with if you come across a challenge.
My advice for anyone considering Self Managed Care is that although it can be scary, it all comes together and it will fall into place. I have even been advising a lot of my friends and offering my help to get them started with Self Managed Care and I am now in the process of interviewing caregivers to assist with Self Managed Care for my father-in-law and mother-in-law.