Timing & Timeframes

Right now is one of the busiest times of year for me.  I have a lot of yearly evaluations to complete in a timely manner while dealing with the holidays and others schedules.  Additionally, my ability to work nights is restricted due to hunting season for the next week and then Thanksgiving week.

At the beginning of November, I was finding that to complete Orientations in the evening with new families, for the first time EVER, I would be scheduling out to December.  CRAZY.  Doesn't bode well for the over achiever A personality, but I can't make schedules and times that don't exist!  Fortunately, I have been able to juggle most everything somehow or another.  I've managed to throw in the blanket on the tie blankets after making almost 20!  I have been doing so many renewals that I have three reports yet to complete - which I hope to have done by the end of the week at the very latest, although I don't actually have deadlines other than my own self-inflicted ones!

In working with a family, they have one year to complete the licensing process.  ONE. YEAR.  Or...TWELVE. MONTHS.  As a reminder, I had all my information completed in less than two, if that.  One family I began working with last October, was having difficulty with the paperwork and doing some home improvements in their newly acquired home.  They would email me initially every 1.5 months to say they were still interested in the process.  Then I didn't hear from them for four months.  Then in June, I receive an email that they are still very interested and what do they need to do.  I email the wife back and tell her.  No response.

That is, until TONIGHT.  Almost five months later.  She and her husband are still working on the paperwork and they need more prepaid return envelopes.  Unfortunately for them, or for me, or for Uncle Sam or who knows who, their year, ended in October.  Their enrollment is closed. 

Technically I should complete another Orientation.  Personally, I don't know why, since I can't imagine they will ever complete the entire process before I retire!  I just can't imagine.  I understand that life happens; however, in this line of work, timeliness and communication are a necessity!  I can't imagine how long a return phone call would take if I called them for a placement...