INDIANAPOLIS – It’s a typical Tuesday at the Ruzic home. Jesse and Olivia are caring for their son Archer. He has what’s called Kabuki syndrome.
The umbrella illness has caused him to have 27 other life-threatening diagnoses. He requires around the clock care.
“Nurses are really the only option and there is just such a shortage, a dire shortage, that there is nobody else at this point that can come in the home and meet these needs,” said Jesse Ruzic.
wrtv Jesse takes care of his son’s medical needs. He doesn’t get paid for that portion of his son’s care but he does for other needs, like bathing and dressing. He and his wife are both able to work full-time caring for their son through the Attendant Caregiver program, funded through the aged and disabled waiver.
WRTV Their son suffers from seizures and can’t eat on his own. Both have taken training to be able to provide this care. They both clock 40 hours a week like a normal job.
WRTV “We have been trained by these agencies, yes we do have to show what we are doing,” Olivia Ruzic said. “Yes we have to be careful to clock in for only the amount of hours that FSSA has approved for us. “