Kim Suhr says Area Agency on Aging (AAA) has been a lifeline for her.
“If I wasn’t getting these services, I don’t know if I would even be here. I might be in a nursing home or have a feeding tube. I definitely wouldn’t be able to live in my own home,” she told me in a phone interview this week.
Kim, 56, of Stevensville has been a AAA client since 2019, utilizing the MI Choice Waiver program. MI Choice Waiver allows people aged 18 and older with disabilities who qualify for nursing home level of care to live independently in the setting of their choice.
The program, funded through Medicaid, can help people with care management, bathing and dressing, home-delivered meals, laundry, light housekeeping, transportation, and more. It lets people choose what services would be most helpful to them and how they want to be cared for.
Kim shared with me that she qualified for the program because uterine cancer treatments over the last 20 years have made her severely underweight and unable to do basic tasks like carrying a laundry basket across her apartment complex. She is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 82 pounds.
“Because of my digestive issues, it hurts after I eat, so I don’t feel like eating, especially if I have to cook the food,” she said.
Having BOOST Plus from Meals on Wheels and microwavable meals from Moms Meals delivered straight to her home has made it more likely for her to eat with her dietary restrictions.
In addition, she’s more likely to call a doctor when she needs it.
Kim said one of the biggest benefits of the program is having Medicaid as her secondary insurance, so she has less out of pocket medical and prescription expenses.
“It’s not easy to make ends meet when you’re on disability. I was putting off going to my digestive doctor because of the $40 copay,” she said.
Now she’s able to get to all her appointments, including seeing a physical therapist once a week who works with her on stretches and abdominal massages.
A home health aide comes in for a few hours each week to help her with trips to the grocery store, other errands like taking her car to a mechanic, and that dreaded trip to the laundry room.
She originally heard about Area Agency on Aging through a neighbor who was getting help with their laundry. She didn’t qualify for help at first, but as her health declined, she reached back out.
Kim’s AAA care managers over the years have been able to suggest and help connect her to programs outside of AAA too, like free counseling at Andrews Community Counseling Center for depression that came with her poor health.
She recently got a new diagnosis that carries a risk of stroke. Her care manager helped get her a medical alert button in case of emergencies.
She said for someone like her, who moved to the area without much support, having those seven hours each week with her caregiver and physical therapist keeps her connected. Her dad and my best friend call her, but otherwise she doesn’t have much connection to others.
“There are people who have children to help take care of them. I don’t,” she said. “I used to be the one to take care of others. Knowing I have AAA to lean on has taken some getting used to.”
Kim worked as a Medicaid consultant for 17 years, and said she knows the value of advocating for others and sharing your story. She was thrilled to be able to share hers with me.
“As my health has declined over the last few years, Area Agency on Aging has been there. It’s above and beyond, and everyone I’ve worked with is not only nice, they care,” she said.
Curious about MI Choice Waiver and want to see if you qualify? Call the Info-Line at 800-654-2810 or visit https://areaagencyonaging.org/mi-choice/.
Alexandra Newman is the communications and outreach coordinator for the Region IV Area Agency on Aging in Southwest Michigan. Interested in having an AAA representative speak to your group or organization? Email alexandranewman@areaagencyonaging.org. Questions on age or independence services? Call the Info-Line for Aging & Disability at 800-654-2810. The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium