My mom has Parkinson’s disease and is currently in rehab for a broken hip after a difficult hospital stay. It continues to be difficult. There are multiple reasons for this, but the one that stands out is the need for her family to stay on top of things and advocate for her care. I recently remarked to my sister that we need to accept the fact that no one is going to care about mom the way we do. That is just a simple fact of human nature and the healthcare system in general.

Certainly, the facility where she is currently staying is clean, bright, and safe, and the staff is friendly. However, there are only so many people to care for the residents there, so no one resident is a priority. Mom is OUR priority, but they have many, so there are times when we have to speak up to make sure that mom’s needs are met.

So why am I mentioning this? Because it is the same thing that we have to do for our children in their school settings. There are many terrific people that are there to provide service for our children, but they have many students. We have one. Our child is our priority, and there are other parents with the same priorities. I have noted how upset I get when my mom’s requests or needs are not met with immediacy, and I have to remind myself of why. At the same time, I don’t let those needs go unmet, but I carefully craft how I approach the staff and request respectfully that their assistance as soon as possible is appreciated. And yes, I worry in the times that we are not at the facility with her, what is happening, much like we worry about what is going on in our child’s school day.

I have said to many parents, that the best outcomes that I have seen over my many years of supporting the academic and social success of kids are when we are kind, respectful, firm, and squeaky with those people that are involved with the care of the people we love.