From Homeless to Hopeful

A nosebleed doesn’t sound serious. But that’s what left Robert,  a man in his late 60s, on the brink of homelessness with nothing to call his own.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Robert had moved to Dickson, Tennessee, with a friend. The two rented a house, and Robert found doctors to help him manage his conditions, which included diabetes, obesity, gallstones and atrial fibrillation.

Life changed when Robert’s friend died. Robert couldn’t afford the rent on his own, and he had no family to help. So, he packed up his things and moved into a motel.

Alone in a motel without a car, it was harder for Robert to manage his health. That became clear when he developed a nosebleed he couldn’t control. Robert called an ambulance that took him to a hospital in Nashville.

Cynthia Wallace, Robert’s Community Plan care coordinator, said the nosebleed was likely caused by a blood thinner he had been taking for his atrial fibrillation. ER staff conducted an International Normalized Ratio (INR) test, which measures the time it takes for blood to clot. “A normal INR is between two and three seconds, and his was at 14,” Wallace said. “It was so serious, he could have bled to death internally.”

Robert was admitted to the hospital, where staff helped him get his INR and diabetes under control. After a 13-day stay, he was discharged to the Christian Care Nursing Facility in Ashland City for therapy and rehabilitation.

That’s when Cynthia Wallace was assigned to be Robert’s care coordinator. When she visited him, she was surprised to learn that while he had been in the hospital, the motel had thrown out all his possessions. “When I first met him, all he had were the clothes on his back,” she said. “The first thing he asked me for was help finding a place to live.”

Robert wanted to be back in Dickson, where his doctors were. “Fortunately, I knew of some nice low-income apartments there with mostly elderly residents,” Wallace said. “There was just one apartment left, so I worked real fast to grab it for him.”

Wallace then worked with the social worker from Christian Care to get the apartment ready. “We went to Goodwill to get him furniture, household items and other things he needed,” she said.

Wallace also worked to make sure the apartment would be safe. “We made sure there was a personal emergency response system installed, which sends an alert if he falls,” she said. “I also set him up with home-delivered meals and 12 hours a week of personal care like housecleaning, shopping, errands, cooking and laundry.”

With stable housing, Robert has been able to get back on track with seeing his doctors. “He’s able to take public transportation to his doctor appointments, and he’s following his plan of care,” Wallace said.

After being sick, destitute, and on the edge of homelessness, Robert is now happily living in a safe space where he can manage his health. “He’s so happy,” said Wallace. “It’s a great feeling to see him doing so well.”