The heart symbolizes many things for Rosemarie. This is a story about Rosemarie’s own heart, the one that slowed so much she needed a Life Star helicopter and emergency surgery to reset its electricity with a pacemaker, and her emotional heart: how she is learning to live a new life after multiple major losses (sister, father, mother, boyfriend, brother-in-law, and her dog). She holds a Valentine’s Day balloon, given to her by her wonderful aide, which reminds her of her sister.
Rosemarie was a med-certified community living specialist working with behaviorally and intellectually challenged adults in group home for the last sixteen years. She also volunteered with Special Olympics. “They gravitated to me and me to them.” This was a physically demanding job, and she was working double shifts as she knew her clients needed her but became exhausted. At the urging of her boyfriend, she went to the ER with a “crick in her neck.” It was much more serious! Everyone was amazed she was able to talk with barely a heartbeat, but she remembers the details of that day, especially the exciting ride in the helicopter to the hospital. After developing sepsis from the first pacemaker, she underwent another more extensive surgery to implant another pacemaker. For the next 6 months she was tethered to the IV pole for 20 hours a day to clear the infection.
Her heart “now had power,” but she spent the next two years in a nursing facility learning how to walk and live again. At first, she was very discouraged and really thought she wasn’t going to live. All of this was at the height of COVID, and she was unable to see her family for months. Helping her roommate who had dementia gave Rosemarie a purpose. Yet she was determined to leave the nursing home and worked very hard with the wonderful physical and occupational therapy team to regain her independence. Even before she learned about Money Follows the Person (MFP) through the facility social worker, she was very proactive in looking for places to live. Once she applied for MFP, she was connected to the housing coordinator. However, she had already been working with housing attorneys as she found an apartment because the landlord would not accept the housing voucher. She won her case and three months later she moved into her apartment. To this day, however, she is the only tenant whom they’ve accepted with the housing voucher. She credits the MFP transition coordinator and the care manager at doing a fantastic job to make the phone calls and help her realize her goal of moving to a new home. She would like others to know about MFP and if they are capable, to look on their own for apartments. She thinks that her actions and her determination made the difference to move out of the nursing facility. She now lives close to her daughter, brother, nieces and grandchildren.
Living alone in her new environment, her biggest adjustment is the quiet. She became accustomed to the noise in the nursing facility. The quiet also meant she needed to work through her grief. With monthly professional support she is doing this difficult work. She has reduced the number of medications she’s taking with the goal of further reducing them. After the first aide did not work out, the second aide was a great fit. “We are like 2 peas in a pod.” Since Rosemarie does not drive, her aide drives her to appointments, shopping and around town to enjoy nature. She is also walking much more, only needing the rollator for longer distances. She has made tremendous progress. Last year she was still learning to walk again. When she watches the beautiful sunset view over the river outside her window, she feels only gratitude.
