I've Had It With The Hooey

It's been over 3 weeks since Micah was evaluated for an AAC device. I knew coming from that appointment that it would take a while to get an actual device into our hands, but I had no idea the extent that foot dragging could be drug out.

I spelled out what the system requires, and although it's all kinds of frustrating to have to jump through these hoops, I'm doing it because it needs to be done.

But here's the problem. We're stuck even trying to get to the first hoop, much less through it. Micah needs a loaner device to use before we can do much of anything. His therapist at school said she could try to track one down for us (since it's her job and all) but after 3 weeks she's come up blank. This week? She gave me the name of several places that I might try looking.

Um, if it's your job, why are you pandering it off on me?

But I'm done waiting. Done. So I took the names and called them, and I found a device on the second call. How hard was that? And why wasn't it done by the therapist weeks ago? But it wasn't all that easy apparently. I needed to call yet another agency who signs devices for our county. You know, the device that's sitting in his closet collecting dust. The one that I could drive over and pick up, leaving my credit card as collateral.

That phone call resulted in leaving messages for people who are sick and on vacation. (Yeh, two of them.) I called Mr. It's In My Closet back and said "now what? I want it. She's not in. She won't be returning my call and you know it." He left a message for them to call as well. How kind.

The next day I called back because as of 2:00 PM I'd heard squat. And she said, "Oh, sure, you can borrow the device! Go to this website, download this form, fill it out, send it back to us, and we'll process it." This translates directly into several more weeks before I make any kind of headway. And I can't download forms from my computer and don't know why.

I asked (quite stupidly, knowing that it would elevate my blood pressure) how quickly this would take. "Well, pretty quick once we get your application processed. Of course, that's if there's no waiting list for the device you want."

Stop the presses. There's a waiting list for something that's sitting around collecting dust? Does this tell you that you should be speeding paperwork through a little faster? Or maybe change the way things are done?

I wonder what would happen if I would just show up on Monday morning and stage a stand-in until I get that thing for my son. This is just so bureaucratic. And I'm just so over it.

I called the manufacturing company and explained, a tiny bit impatiently, that we were having difficulty finding a loaner device and asked how they could help me. I was given a phone number. *sigh* After calling, it turns out that I needed to talk to someone else who takes care of our county. Shocking, I know. She said she'd email him and have him call me. Wanna start taking bets now that this never happens?

I am this close to just calling Prentke Romich and placing an order myself. If I had $3600 sitting around, I would. Why on earth is this so stinkin' complicated?

I. Hate. Government. Intervention.