Dear Editor
We need more respite housing, not just funding, for families with special needs children. Looking after children can be stressful. Having a child with special needs adds a degree of difficulty that is hard to imagine.
After 14 years of looking after our autistic daughter - dealing with tantrums, bolting, lashing out with hands and feet, head banging, trips to the emergency room, broken furniture, broken walls, broken hopes, feeling isolated, trapped - my wife fell into depression. She was no longer able to cope. She lost all will to carry on, she wanted to die.
In September, she was hospitalized in Prince Albert for severe depression. After six weeks, she came home, better, however our daughter had several bad episodes. After a week, my wife became completely altered, uncaring and unresponsive. She was quickly hospitalized again. The decision was made she could no longer look after our daughter.
Our autistic daughter, now 15, went into a group home. We were tired, burned out and depressed. We did receive respite funding, but we lacked enough trained people.
Respite meant going out for a couple of hours, what was needed was a couple of days or weeks of respite. This means a "home" where the child will be looked after, safe and secure. This means lots of organization, and well-trained staff.
It exists and is being used in this province to currently look after our daughter. We need more of this, now. If we had a facility to place our daughter for a couple of weeks, we could have spent time at home to rest and recuperate, then go back to looking after our girl.
Our daughter is settling in well and we, as family, are healing. However there are many families who need help, now.
Brad Hayes
Tisdale
