Happy Homecoming

“She is the kind of person that will brighten your day after a simple conversation with her.”  That is how a REAL Services case worker described Helen, who is 92 years old.

Prior to entering the REAL Services Guardianship Program, Helen was living in a nursing home. While she was well cared for, she desperately wanted to go home.  

“This was my sister’s home,” Helen explained, her eyes welling up with tears at the fond memories.  That’s the reason it is so important to her to stay in the home where she has lived for more than 15 years.  Her younger sister, Jackie died shortly after Helen moved in with her.  Helen had seven siblings and she is the only one still living.

Her only close living relative, a cousin, was her Power of Attorney, but the cousin was not in good health and the responsibility was beginning to be overwhelming.  There was no way she was able to manage things for Helen if she moved back into her home.  Realizing she was not capable of doing the job well, the cousin felt she must withdraw as Helen's POA.

That is when the nursing home called REAL Services Guardianship team as an emergency referral.  The Guardianship Program provides legal guardianship for adults, age 60 or older, who have no family or friends who are willing, able, or suitable to manage their finances and make medical and personal decisions for them.  Specific Guardianship services include paying bills from the client’s personal funds, making medical decisions, accessing Medicare, and other insurance benefits, and providing advocacy offering a caring personal connection.

Helen made it very clear she wanted to live in her home.  A review of her finances revealed that she could afford to live in her home so the REAL Services team set about making it happen for her.  They arranged for appropriate 24/7 caregivers and made sure her home was safe for her to move back in, including arranging to build a ramp for her wheelchair.   As part of the process, the guardian made sure all utilities were on, appliances worked, heating and cooling systems worked, the home was clean and safe, and all medical care were coordinated. 

Once everything was ready, Helen moved back to her home.  She was ecstatic!  Without REAL Services to help her, Helen would not have been able to make all the necessary arrangements to live in the home that her family owned for many years.  Now she is free to do what she wants, decide what she eats, have friends visit in the privacy of her home, and she recently started to go on outings (she likes to shop at thrift stores) with her caregivers. 

Helen now feels in control of her life once again!