"I don’t want us to be confined to our home": a ramp would help senior
This 72-year-old man lives with his 70-year-old wife in El Paso's 79927 zip code. They live in a mobile home and he is having difficulty getting in and out of his home. The couple contacted the Area Agency on Aging because they would like assistance with building a ramp.
About 20 years ago, the husband was in a car crash. He says, “I don’t remember anything about what happened. I just know that one day I woke up, and I was in the hospital.”
He was told that he had to have back surgery to repair five discs in his spine. At the time, the wife states that she was separated from her husband.
“When I learned of his accident, I thought, he has no one to take care of him, how is he going to get through this?" she said. "I told myself, he’s the father of your children, you need to help him.”
The wife returned home and reconciled with her husband. They both say that his recovery was hard, but thankfully, he was able to regain his ability to walk and returned to work.
After several years, though, his back started to deteriorate, which eventually led to him no longer being able to work and filing for disability benefits. He also started using a quad cane and on days when the pain is worse, a rollator walker to assist with this mobility.
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Since they live in a mobile home, the entrance was modified to attempt to accommodate his use of mobility devices. He states that because money is tight, a professional did not make this modification. They sought the assistance of a friend to form stairs with a wider step out of cement and large rocks. This seemed to help and served its purpose. However, over the years, the stairs have eroded and now pose more of a hazard.
In an attempt to make the best of what they have, a ladder has been propped up next to the stairs and this is used as a handrail for additional support when entering and exiting the home. The wife states there are cement crumbles and rocks that have fallen out of place, indicating the erosion of the stairs.
He reports that in order to navigate the stairs, his wife places the rollator walker at the bottom of the stairs, and he uses the quad cane to come down the stairs and then reaches for the rollator walker. As one can imagine, he has fallen several times but has not injured himself further.
Both the wife and husband express fear and concern when having to leave or return to the home.
“I get so nervous that he or I could slip and break something, but we need to stay active and able to go to places like doctor appointments, grocery shopping, even church," the wife said. "I don’t want us to be confined to our home.”
The husband says, “We called you because we thought maybe this could be our Christmas present?”
By helping these seniors with a ramp, their safety and ability to remain in the home would be made possible. This would also allow this couple the peace of mind that they can get in and out of their home without harm, giving them their Christmas wish.
How you can help with the 2023 Senior Fund:
The Senior Fund has helped older adult residents of El Paso County for almost 30 years. It is a partnership between the El Paso Times, the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging and the United Way of El Paso County. You can donate by visitingwww.unitedwayelpaso.org/senior-fund to make a secure, online donation, or by check payable to United Way of El Paso County – Senior Fund and mailed to the United Way at P.O. Box 1707, El Paso, TX 79949.
The Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging coordinates services for those seeking assistance. The United Way handles monetary donations, reviews expenses and helps provide transparency on how the funds are used. For information or questions about the Senior Fund, particularly how to apply for assistance or to donate items related to the profiled seniors, contact the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging at 915-533-0998.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: A ramp would help this Senior Fund recipient
