[sasi] Aging with a disability

Sun Mar 20 17:28:47 GMT 2011

Cheryl, Hi, smile, I lived in HUD Housing for quite a few years.  There are
many programs out there similar to HUD Housing, even in nice apartment
building that have reduced rent apartments for disabled.  Yes they (meaning
HUD, city housing etc.) do take medical costs into rent including over the
counter.  One year I only paid about a forth of my income from my SSD check
to rent.  I only paid rent and electric where I was.  My housing the city
bus pulled right up in front.  A convenience store was across the street.  I
had four theaters, baseball park, several banks, shopping, University,
restaurants all within several easy walking blocks.  The para transit was
good also.  This was though in Erie Pennsylvania. Oh the park with many
events was across the street also, smile. 

You could start with the most livable cities list on AFB and go from there.
Your computer is your highway to freedom, plus you have a huge family of
guide dog handlers from all over the United States.  Some would even open up
our homes to you to look around the area on a temporary basis. A friend of
mine just moved to Kansas City using this method.  She is closer to family,
yet has tons of travel, shopping opportunities.  

Choose a few places and start calling the Centers for Independent Living.
They will take more seriously your disability when thinking about places to
live.

Many HUD housing have meals like lunch, plus cleaning help included in your
rent.

Also google fifty five and over communities in the cities that appeal to
you. You will find people to talk to about what they can offer you.

I have a snoozing golden on my foot, sweet smile.  These dogs are just so
wonderful.

Becky and Jake      

From: sasi-bounces at acb.org [mailto:sasi-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf Of Cheryl
Osborn
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2011 5:12 PM
To: sasi, (sight and sound impaired) discussion list
Subject: Re: [sasi] Aging with a disability

Thanks for your input, Cindy.

Hadley is an excellent idea.  I do have some very good Spanish lessons on CD
and some computer files.  I have learned a lot of Spanish since living here
but I still have a long way to go.  Being an older person with a bad memory
doesn't help much.  Even if I were fluent in Spanish, I still would miss
being in the US.  The cost of living here is definitely less, but I guess
that we all have our priorities.

I have tried to do some research via the Internet, but as you stated, it is
pretty difficult to do from here.  Also, when people find out that I am not
currently residing in the US, they don't want to talk with me further.  From
what I have read, the reduced rent places would charge me about a third of
my disability check.  I don't know if this would take into account my
medical and prescription costs.  It is possible that I may have to make a
trip just to find out.

Cheryl

From: Cindy Flerman <mailto:cflerman at verizon.net>  

Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2011 10:42 AM

To: sasi, (sight and sound impaired) discussion list <mailto:sasi at acb.org>  

Subject: Re: [sasi] Aging with a disability

Hi Cheryl,

While you are still in Mexico, have you thought about taking a Spanish
course from Hadley?  This could be a help to you where you are.

I don't know a lot about lower cost senior facilities but I do know (and you
may remember) that California is a bit on the expensive side.

My brother who lives in Phoenix tells me that the cost of living has gone up
there since I left in 1993.  My Mom, had she been admitted to an assisted
living facility in Pennsylvania, would have paid about $7 thousand a month.
But this is different from a lower-cost apartment where meals and care
aren't provided.

I wish I knew more but those are the first things that come to mind.

I have heard that some rental buildings have low income apartment
availability and that often word of mouth is the best way to find out about
them, but that isn't always easy when you're not living in the location that
interests you.

I will be very interested also in other comments.

Cindy Flerman & yellow Lab Pedro

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Cheryl Osborn <mailto:chapalacheryl at gmail.com>  

To: Seniors at ACB <mailto:sasi at acb.org>  

Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2011 9:29 AM

Subject: [sasi] Aging with a disability

As I have just joined this list, I am not aware of its most common/popular
focus, so please ignore me if you don't like or want to discuss what I am
writing about.  

I think that aging with a disability can be interesting.  All of a sudden
you are not disabled any more.  You are just another senior citizen.  If you
forget to do something, you are not ostracized but forgiven.  If you stumble
around, weave back and forth, it is assumed that you are new to a
medication.  The down side of all these things is that you could be ignored
or patronized even more than you were in your earlier years.  This really
bothers me when I consider that there are so many more senior citizens than
ever before.  

As a person who lives in a rural area of Mexico, I probably don't have many
of the same concerns that someone living in the US would have.  In general,
people here treat their elders with respect.  On the other hand, they don't
appear to expect disabled people to do much of anything.  If a disabled
person lives with the family, they are taken care of and pretty much kept at
home.  Those disabled persons who do venture out, and they are few, usually
beg on the streets.  From what my husband and friends tell me, when I am
seen on the streets with my guide dog, the people tend to stare at me in
amazement.  They want to help me negotiate obstacles and to assist me across
the streets.  

After being here in Mexico for almost 5 years, I am strongly considering
returning to the US.  I miss some of the really important things like a good
hamburger and real pizza.  It would also be very nice to be able to depend
on being able to board a city bus without an argument about the Mexican law,
which does, by the way, allow persons with a guide dog to access all public
facilities.  Also, as my Spanish is on an elementary level, I am concerned
that should my husband not be here, I would be in a sorry situation, no way
to get to town.  

As for living in the US, I am wondering if I am only dreaming that I could
possibly live on my disability check alone.  Would it be possible to find a
decent senior living facility that is located on a bus line and is a short
walking distance to a grocery store.  I am not particular which state I live
in, excluding the really harsh weather states which us older people find
miserable.  As a born-and-bread US citizen, I am very spoiled when it comes
to certain things.

Any comments?

Cheryl

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