MM!MD Stories
Linda's Story:
I was working until our son Frankie got sick when he was 3. He needed lots of help so I had to quit my job to take care of him. My husband worked, so we were
doing OK.
Six years ago I had a stroke because of an aneurysm. I was only 45 years old, and I didn’t have insurance. I had never really been sick. Thank goodness I was able to qualify for Medicaid. It covered the nursing home as well as speech therapy and physical therapy. I had a tube in my stomach, and had a hard time talking. My stroke was hard on the whole family.
With me in the nursing home, my husband couldn’t keep Frankie; he had to go to Villa Maria, a residential placement. I was in the nursing home for five years. Then I met Gayle from Maryland Disabilities Law Center. She asked did I want out – and I said sure! It was a lot of paperwork, I needed help. But Gayle helped me get signed up for the Living at Home wavier so I could get out of the nursing home.
My husband had died in 2002. I wanted to get back to having Frankie more in my life. Now he can visit me every week at my apartment in Baltimore County. It’s so much better for me now. Emotionally, I’m a lot better – I used to get pretty depressed. I can sleep better, it’s quiet. I have an aide 8 hours a day, 5 to 7 days a week. I can only use one arm, so it’s hard to do things like cooking, shower, getting dressed. I do as much as I can. If I didn’t have these services or my medicines, I’d be lost.
If I could go back to work I would. I am a member of ADAPT and the Cross Disability Rights Coalition. We need better transportation. You have to call MTA Mobility way ahead of time – but they don’t always show up when they’re supposed to.
I don’t think most people understand about Medicaid, especially with nursing homes. They think it’s just for older people. Medicaid is for everybody – you don’t have to be over 65.
We need Medicaid to help us, otherwise we’re up ____ creek without a paddle.
Health Care Reform: Confused? Join the Club!
Kaiser Family Health Care Reform Subsidy Calculator
Kaiser Family Foundation Briefing On Reform's Medicaid Expansion
FamiliesUSA Health Care Reform Pre-existing Conditions Analysis
BHCA Health Care Reform Impact Analysis
Long Life for Health Care Reform? Maybe Not
Public Justice Center, 1 North Charles Street, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD (410) 707-7845
©Copyright 2010 Medicaid Matters! MD
Created and Powered by Mission Media