What to do??? (sorry long)

So as you know, I have a broken foot in a walking (fibreglass) cast and ACC-funded home-help for 8 hours x6 days every week for the last 3 weeks. Home help's (Lorna's) job is not only to help with tea prep and housework, but also to carry the children (mainly Krystiana) as necessary - for instance when Kryssi wakes/goes to bed, because we are in a two storey house.

Three weeks on from the break and I think I'm doing pretty well - even though the cast won't be off until 8th May. I'm completely off crutches inside and take one crutch outside for extra balance on uneven outdoor surfaces. As of yesterday I have also been able to carry Briona and Kryssi up/down stairs.

So methinks it's time to scale down the home help to 3 hours a day, since I can now do the childcare myself. (ACC is going to review the care I get from them this week so I have been thinking about how much I think I need.) It means we won't be tripping over each other's feet as it were, and that Lorna won't be twiddling her thumbs for an hour or two every day (which is what is happening now). It will also help "wean" my girls off Lorna - Hannah seems to think that Lorna is her personal maid

Well I mentioned this to Lorna today, because I appreciate that she works on-call and she may want to get something sorted out for more hours from next week or something. She talks to her boss (as I suggested) and her boss talks with the ACC assessor, and then called me tonight (I know Lorna's boss personally).... to let me know that the assessor is not happy to drop the home help hours because what would happen if there was a fire and I had to get the kids all downstairs or something. She obviously feels that ACC is still responsible to cover all of Nathaniel's working hours but I think that's a bit over the top, not to mention rubbing my independent streak the wrong way!

I'm tempted to just accept her "decision" hands down but then (quietly) send Lorna home early some days depending on how the day is going. But I don't want to interfere with Lorna's earning capability unfairly either.
What should I do?

What does Lorna think??? If she feels comfortable with going home ealry (quietly) then maybe do that???

Or is there something else you could use Lorna for?? Send her on some errands? Take the older 2 to the park?? Cook you some meals for the freezer??

Hope this helps

Hi, the assessor will be talking with me one day this week - appointment still to be made.

She's not *allowed* to do spring cleaning - she's only here to cover what I do on a regular basis. All part of the conditions.... however the last couple of days she has cleaned a couple of my windows (bye-bye finger prints ) to relieve the boredom - in her own words!!

tee hee my mum told me (quite seriously) that I should get her to clean the oven - cause technically it's supposed to be done every month. Ay?!

I have talked with Lorna, but not ACC yet, and we're thinking we'll definitely change to an 8am start (instead of 7am ), and otherwise I'll let ACC have their way for the rest of the day (but I'll probably send Lorna home early on the boring days). They reckon it's a risk to have me at home with the kids and my foot in a cast but I reckon they're just a bit overwhelmed on my behalf that I have three kids to look after. Don't they realise that I'm used to it??!? lol

Oh, and my pantry got cleaned out today Fridge tomorrow maybe? We've been preserving apples off our tree and yesterday made 2x pumpkin pie and 2x pumpkin soup

Edited by busymum

Thanks for that flery, I had wondered (about the 12 week thing) but never knew.