Ann
From the priority area Community Wellness

Ann talks loudly with grand arm gestures to her visitor, barely stopping to take a breath. One thought leads to another, talking of old friends and relatives and of New London in the 1920s and 30s. She takes the listener on a journey down a twisting and turning road, jumping from one thought to the next. Surprisingly, this 91-year-old woman is robust and mentally sharp and still lives alone in her own home.

Ann suffers from osteoporosis and heart and lung conditions. Though she is small and frail, doesn’t see or hear too well, she makes her way around the house with the help of a cane. All of her immediate necessities are piled up around her bed—telephone and Lifeline alert necklace, medications and cookies to wash them down, tissues and magazines.

Though she’s been in the hospital more times than she can count, been on life support four times and nearly pronounced dead once, Ann has an incredible will to live. “I’ve got too many unfinished things,” she says. “I’ve got to live for my daughter.”

Ann’s only family is a 96-year-old sister who lives nearby and her daughter who resides in Florida. “I would rather take care of myself,” Ann pronounces.

Thanks to many services funded through United Way, Ann can remain independently in her home. Through the Visiting Nurse Association she receives a nurse once or twice a week, a homemaker three times a week and a physical therapist to help her with pain management. In the past, a social worker has visited to assist Ann with financial matters. The American Red drives Ann to any medical appointments while TVCCA provides Meals-on-Wheels throughout the week.

Without the help of this safety net of services, Ann might not be able to live on her own. In fact, she might not be able to live at all.