Through part of Dave’s discharge process, he was referred to our Behavioral Health & Wellness program. As part of onboarding our Behavioral Health clients, our staff assess all of the client’s needs; through that process, Dave was also referred to our Home & Repair & Accessibility department for a ramp and some minor home repairs so that he and his wife could continue living safely at home.
Our Behavioral Health Supervisor, Jill, met with Dave initially to assess his needs and assign a Case Manager. Due to previous medical procedures and chronic arthritis, Dave has limited mobility and uses a rollator walker to get around safely. As Dave returned home, Jill recognized that the steps to his home were going to present a hazard. Dave and his wife are both elderly, so carrying the rollator in and out and trying to safely navigate Dave on the stairs was a problem. Jill started the application process with our Home Repair & Accessibility department so that he could get a ramp built on his home.
Within a couple of weeks Dave was approved for a ramp and our Home Repair team was at his house to take measurements and design his new ramp. While they were there, they assessed the overall safety of the home and identified that the two-steps to his back deck were hazardous and that there were some smoke detectors needed in the home. The next week our crew showed up and installed his new ramp in about 4 hours. The next week they came back to address the other hazards by replacing the steps to his deck, adding a handrail, and installing the smoke detectors.
In addition to providing Dave with safe access to his home, both Dave and his wife benefit from the ramp. They had already been using a wagon to haul groceries from the car and laundry to and from the clothesline; now they could wheel the wagon right up to the door and not worry about carrying heavy loads up and down the stairs.
Meanwhile, Kyle had been assigned as Dave’s Case Manager and had begun working with Dave to advocate for the services he needs in the community and with his doctors. Dave did not have a cell phone and Kyle was able to get him one under the Lifeline Assistance program (commonly referred to as an “Obama Phone”). This is a program that provides low income individuals with a free phone, voice minutes, and texting so that everyone can have access to necessary communications such as medical appointments, emergency needs, and family connections.
Because Milestone provides a wide variety of services for older adults and a adults with disabilities, we are able to identify our customers’ needs quickly from a holistic view and connect them with the services they need to remain living healthy and safely at home.
