The best laid plans...

We all know that none of us can predict the future. But when you are responsible for another person's welfare, that unpredictability must figure into your plans. And everyone needs a back up plan for the unforeseen events that can wreak havoc in anyone's life. For no matter how fabulous your intentions may be, if you are not able to implement them - for whatever reason - your good intentions are lost.

This has been brought home to us once again at Morgan Autism Center. Here's the story. A forty year old autistic adult client has lived all his life with first both his parents, and when his mother died ten years ago, his widower father. His father, out of respect for his wife's dying wishes, promised his wife and  that he would never place his son in a group home. And until a week ago, the plan was the two of them, father and son, would live together until.....until what? No contingency plan was thought about nor talked about to prepare this autistic man for the traumatic change he would have to face should he suddenly need care away from his father. And because he has some health issues, let alone behavior and anxiety issues, this care is not easily done by anyone.

Now his father is suddenly very seriously ill and needs to be hospitalized. Its Memorial Day weekend. The Regional Center has a crisis team, but no home ready on such short notice for this client, who is traumatized by the uncertainty and shocking change to his life. A cousin who lives locally (but who has his own two year old and had no expectation to take this on) is stepping up for a few days. But then what?

Everyone needs a contingency plan. We all have to cover our bases for when the unexpected happens.