Rain man and Me

Me and "Rain man" went on an adventure this morning to get his taxes filed.  Last year I took him to the AARP volunteers at the Senior Citizen Center and so we went back this year.  I filled out the paperwork for Mike and after making sure he was settled with the gentleman that was going to help him I stepped out to see if Mike could answer the questions without my help.  There was really nothing to answer as it was a straight forward return.  He had 71cents in earned income and the rest was his social security income.  I could have done the return for him but I really want him to know how to do as much as he can on his own in case I wasn't around to help him.

I showed him 3 times where the elevator was and how to find the outside door.  I waited for him outside......and he did it!  Finished the taxes and actually found his way out.... It was a successful adventure.  He will get a $40.00 refund from the state as a sales tax credit.  He's RICH!  He was so cute....he introduced me to the preparer as his sister....the best sister in the whole, whole, whole, world!  Now my hat won't fit on my head!

I LOVE MY BROTHER!  

Another project that I've been working on with Mike for the past two weeks is his excessive phone calling in the evening.  He has been really getting on Ron's nerves.  He calls promptly at 5:30 the minute Ron gets home.  He talks about 30 minutes until Ron finally tells him he wants to eat dinner.  Then Mike calls again at 7:30 on the dot.....he takes his night time pills and wants Ron to talk to him until he gets sleepy and is ready to go to bed at 8:00.  This was driving Ron crazy.

Soooo I got the idea to get Mike audio books and the goal was to substitute the book for talking to Ron after the pills. We didn't even know if he'd be able to work the cd player but after 2 weeks of practice I can say it has been successful.  We still have to remind him every now and then to listen to his book after his pills instead of calling Ron but for the most part Ron is down to one call now in the evening.

Now, I am working on breaking him from badgering Ron all week as to whether Ron is going to watch a basketball game with him on Saturday.  He will ask over and over and that also drives Ron nuts.  I told Ron that I'll work on getting him to ask one time on Friday evening but Ron has to give him a definitive answer.  Mike doesn't understand, "Well, I don't know.....I'll just have to see....."  That don't work with a schizophrenic.   I can only perform so many miracles.......