RA Disabled Wheelchair Bound Grandma Seeks Help To Buy Accessible Home

by Linda "Jennie"
(Mountain Green, UT, USA)

I'm a single nearly 58-year-old proud mother of two young adult daughters and I am soon to be a grandmother.

Rheumatoid arthritis, affecting almost every joint in my body, has been a significant part of my life for the past 30 years, becoming increasingly severe.

Nevertheless, I became a practicing chiropractor and continued my profession despite becoming wheelchair bound in 2006.

My condition continued to deteriorate until august 2011, when I found myself hospitalized with a number of serious complaints.

I was advised at that time by multiple doctors that I needed to stop working or I would find myself requiring continuous care within six months.

I applied for disability and was determined to be permanently and totally disabled.

I am now completely dependent on a monthly disability check of $985. My current rent payment alone is $950, which prior to my hospitalization and disability was manageable. Now it is out of reach.

I've been advised that a change of climate from the harsh winters we have in Utah to a warmer, drier climate could provide some symptomatic relief.

I have been searching for housing options and have discovered two problems in regards to rental properties.

They are not wheelchair accessible and do not accommodate my handicap needs: accessible counters, cupboards, toilet, shower, wide doors, etc.

As a result, I require extensive assistance with my activities of daily living. Additionally, I have discovered that a rent payment is often greater than a mortgage payment.

For that reason, I am hoping to purchase a modest home that can be modified to fit my needs.

In addition to my SSDI, I have been receiving some temporary financial assistance from my church.

In spite of my very strong desire to be independent, I recognize my need for assistance. I am hoping to find grants or other means to support my efforts to care for myself.

My life, until recently, has been measured in the things I was doing. Now I am finding that the sum of my life is in the being rather the doing.