At 88, A Chance To Be Independent Again

But Hendrix wanted to get back into an apartment of her own. Sue Jamieson, an attorney at Atlanta Legal Aid Society, and Toni Pastore, a paralegal there, helped Hendrix sue the state of Georgia to demand her own apartment. They based their suit on the Americans with Disabilities Act, a 21-year-old law that bars discrimination on the basis of a person's disability.

For Hendrix, Jamieson argued that it'd be cheaper for the state of Georgia if the elderly woman lived in her own house. Instead of the expensive, round-the-clock help available in a nursing home, Hendrix only needed a few hours a day of help from an aide who could help her get out of bed, get dressed and help with housekeeping chores.

The state agreed in principle. But finding such a place was difficult because there is an acute shortage of subsidized, wheelchair-accessible apartments in Georgia, and across the country.

Finding Independence

It took Cheryl Laurendeau, an advocate who works to help people move out of nursing homes, to make it happen. Laurendeau, who also has a disability and uses a wheelchair, became Hendrix's peer supporter and helped her find a subsidized apartment in Atlanta.

But it wasn't quick. The first apartment they went to see was up a steep hill and had a long staircase at the entrance. They couldn't even get in. Often, something that's listed as wheelchair accessible simply isn't. "People seem to think that 2 or 3 inches of a step is accessibility," says Laurendeau. "But it's not for a wheelchair."

Once Hendrix found the apartment she wanted, a federal and state Medicaid program provided more support. Funding through the Money Follows the Person program paid for basic things that can create a costly barrier for people who want to move out of a nursing home. For Hendrix, it paid for furniture — a new bed, chairs and kitchen table — pots, pans, dishes and a few groceries.

Hendrix is learning to become independent again. But it is not automatic. On the day she moved into her apartment, Hendrix let others figure out how to arrange the furniture.

She now receives help from an aide who comes for two hours in the morning to help her get out of bed and bathe and then helps prepare breakfast. The aide returns for two hours in the evening. Dinners are provided by Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit organization that delivers meals to those in need.

For the first time in years, Hendrix says, she's optimistic about her future. "I'll feel fine now," she said as she moved in. "It's gonna get better."