A new lease on life - David’s story
A New Lease on Life - David’s story
David’s path to safe and secure housing was a long and winding one, filled at times with hopelessness and despair. Today, after a hard-won journey to independence, he is on the other side of his housing struggles, thanks to persistence, grit, and a little help from the Senior Services program at Progress.
David’s life has completely transformed in the span of a few years. If you had told him at his lowest point that everything would work out and there was indeed light at the end of the tunnel, he likely wouldn’t have believed you. Sometimes being in a dark place perpetuates darkness, and even mustering the thought of how to change your circumstances when you are down so low is impossible.
The untenable living situation began innocuously enough. When his mother faced an illness over a decade ago and needed more support, David volunteered to move in with her and act as a caregiver. By living in the home with his mother, he would be constantly available to help with whatever she needed. For many, a live-in family caregiver is a viable solution to healthcare needs, and David and his mother were no different.
Unfortunately, their plan would never come to fruition, as shortly after moving in, David suffered a series of unforeseen medical events. In a short window of time, David suffered 27 mini strokes and needed to undergo triple bypass heart surgery. What started as a plan to assist his mother’s complex health needs was suddenly turned on its head. David’s newfound health crisis meant that he was no longer able to fulfill his role as a caregiver, and both David and his mother faced a new, uncharted road ahead. They were suddenly scrambling to figure out a path forward, and navigating how to take care of one another as best they could.
As challenging as things were in those days, David slowly recovered and regained strength, remaining close with his mom while living in the home. However, things would take another turn and in 2019 David suffered another stroke, but this time it was a major one, leaving him nearly incapacitated and bedridden. He required lengthy rehabilitation in order to regain some mobility.
Sadly David was dealt another devastating blow when his mother passed away in 2021. Another family member was also living in the house, but things deteriorated quickly. The remaining family member developed a hoarding problem, and the home became rapidly unlivable.
Eventually David became bound to just his bedroom, as navigating through the hoarded house proved to be extremely dangerous, especially with his mobility challenges. He kept a microwave and mini fridge in his room because not only was getting to the kitchen nearly impossible, but there were hazards associated with the cleanliness of the kitchen. David felt like a prisoner in his body and his home. He became severely depressed. He was not only cut off from the world and isolated, but he had no idea how to get himself out of the situation.
As if things couldn’t get worse, the home became infested with bed bugs.
David was now trapped. A home health care agency had been providing services for a short time, but the care stopped when the bed bug infestation began. He went months without a shower or cooked food. There was no sign of any in-home care returning.
David had been receiving CHOICES services following his stroke, and began asking his contact about alternative places to live. If he could just find a way out of the situation he was in, maybe his life could be different.
However, finding a new place to live proved to be a major challenge. David had been convicted of a crime decades earlier when he was a young man, but finding a landlord who would accept him today seemed impossible. A CHOICES worker was familiar with Progress, and after a few inquiries, Progress jumped in to help. Progress and the CHOICES employee worked together to get David out of his living situation once and for all.
Today, David is finally on the other side of his long and harrowing journey, and can breathe a well-deserved sigh of relief.
David lives with a roommate in a lovely home in Murfreesboro, TN. House Manager and Certified Nurse Assistant Gloria, along with other Senior Services staff, ensure David has everything he needs to live happily and independently. Progress helped David navigate additional assistance like food stamps and social security disability, neither of which he knew how to attain on his own. David doesn’t feel depressed anymore. There are staff now who can take him out of the house when he feels like it, and he is no longer trapped in a dangerous situation. He is able to safely move through a clean home without anything falling on him. He has his own walker and mobility scooter. He can shower, cook, play games and be comfortable, but most importantly has found his freedom. He is thankful to Progress for helping him find a new lease on life and as a result, a whole new world.