A letter from Homewood
From Elaine F. Lee [address redacted]
Pgh, PA 15208
Recently, through an accident, fracturing my leg, I had the need of some "Aging" services - Meals on Wheels and help with household chores. Both fell short in their response to me and after reading Vivian Nereim's article of the negative effects elderly African Americans encounter within Allegheny County "Elderly Black county residents are far more likely to be abused", it occurred to me that abuse goes beyond the focus of the article.
My need of these services are temporary but for the majority of elderly, this is not the case. After completing an "Intake..." by the department, where the 'household chores ...' is concerned, I am still waiting to learn if I will receive this help, but since it has been more then three weeks and since I will soon be fully recovered, I don't think it is any longer necessary.
Meals on Wheels is another matter. After calling to discontinue the service after the 10/4 week which was paid for, the service was stopped immediately, still owing me for a week prepaid. After many phone calls to the Lutheran Meals who handles the service in my community of Homewood, after missing two (2) meals for this week and after having to have someone go grocery shopping for me so that I could eat, I was told meals owed me for the week would resume on Thursday. It seems that a person in charge of providing those meals math was off and he believed I had no longer paid for them. He never spoke to me, although I was told he would call me, he just stopped their delivery.
It makes me wonder how many other seniors in lower economic communities (Black) are treated in this manner but feeling to complain will get them nowhere, just keep quiet. This communication speaks for them. I have alerted those at the management level of these discrepancies and hope that a "study..." will extend beyond the present one, hopefully, resulting in corrections where needed. I am 74 years old and have faced these unfair situations the total of my life leading me to conclude that it will only end when crossing over to the other side!
Pgh, PA 15208
Recently, through an accident, fracturing my leg, I had the need of some "Aging" services - Meals on Wheels and help with household chores. Both fell short in their response to me and after reading Vivian Nereim's article of the negative effects elderly African Americans encounter within Allegheny County "Elderly Black county residents are far more likely to be abused", it occurred to me that abuse goes beyond the focus of the article.
My need of these services are temporary but for the majority of elderly, this is not the case. After completing an "Intake..." by the department, where the 'household chores ...' is concerned, I am still waiting to learn if I will receive this help, but since it has been more then three weeks and since I will soon be fully recovered, I don't think it is any longer necessary.
Meals on Wheels is another matter. After calling to discontinue the service after the 10/4 week which was paid for, the service was stopped immediately, still owing me for a week prepaid. After many phone calls to the Lutheran Meals who handles the service in my community of Homewood, after missing two (2) meals for this week and after having to have someone go grocery shopping for me so that I could eat, I was told meals owed me for the week would resume on Thursday. It seems that a person in charge of providing those meals math was off and he believed I had no longer paid for them. He never spoke to me, although I was told he would call me, he just stopped their delivery.
It makes me wonder how many other seniors in lower economic communities (Black) are treated in this manner but feeling to complain will get them nowhere, just keep quiet. This communication speaks for them. I have alerted those at the management level of these discrepancies and hope that a "study..." will extend beyond the present one, hopefully, resulting in corrections where needed. I am 74 years old and have faced these unfair situations the total of my life leading me to conclude that it will only end when crossing over to the other side!
