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Rockford Man Finds Independence |
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By Nicole Hytinen Marketing Coordinator/SLANT Editor After two years of living in a nursing home, Jeff Pena, 43, of Rockford is on his own again. He was diagnosed in 1987 with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which today requires him to use a wheelchair and rely on the assistance of others for his personal care. In 2001, Jeff decided to move into a nursing home so that his daughter did not have to take care of him. " I didn't want her to come home from school and find me on the floor," said Jeff, a single dad. "I just didn't want her to have to deal with it." Jeff acknowledged that, while the nurses were very pleasant and good at their jobs, he was miserable. "I couldn't do anything for myself because they insisted on doing everything for me. It just made me worse." Jeff was very frustrated with living in the nursing facility because he was not able to make his own decisions and was surrounded by people twice his age. He was also frustrated with his financial situation. His Social Security would only pay for his first ninety days in the nursing home, so after the first three months of residing there, all of Jeff's money went directly towards the facility. Left with no finances, Jeff felt "stuck" and could think of nothing more than "getting the hell out of there." In what seemed to be perfect timing, Jeff's mother heard about RAMP and called to find out what could be done to help her son. Rhonda Barrigas, RAMP Services Manager, visited Jeff to determine his eligibility for RAMP's Community Reintegration Program. Qualified candidates are under the age of 59, have a disability and meet income requirements. A physician's approval is required to determine whether a candidate is capable of living in the community with or without Illinois Home Services Program support. Once Jeff's eligibility was verified, Rhonda began the process of securing funds to help Jeff with his rent deposit, furniture, utility deposits and other one-time purchases that are required for a smooth transition from an institution to a community setting. Rhonda also assisted Jeff with finding the right personal assistant. She taught him how to conduct an interview and explained the important things to look for when making a hiring decision. Jeff hired a live-in personal assistant and a second to come in for five hours a week to assist with bathing and other jobs that are too difficult for one person to handle. Everything seemed to fall in to place and last July, Jeff moved into his own apartment. He has been able to return to his true passion - writing poetry. He has also begun to write his own book entitled Mister too M.S., a story about his life and Multiple Sclerosis. A family member has equipped Jeff's computer with a voice command system, making it much easier for him to put his words and thoughts on to paper. Jeff is now making his own decisions and is in control of his life again. "If I fail, I'd rather it be by me and not someone else. I am in charge." Back to Archive List |
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