“Mrs. J” is a 68 year old senior who speaks very little English and has no transportation. She had been working at a factory in St. Louis for 13 years. Due to some serious health issues, she had to quit working at the end of July. Ms. J did not have the benefits or adequate insurance to cover the costly medical care she needed and did not have funds to pay for it out of pocket either. Her medical bills had begun to pile up and she often had to make the difficult choice of purchasing food or purchasing medication on her limited budget. She came to SFCS Southside Center this past October, seeking help.
A case manager at Southside Center interviewed Mrs. J and found that friend had helped her apply for Social Security benefits and Medicare Part A. Within a week, we worked with her to apply for Medicare Part B and were able to have her covered by the beginning of November. We successfully advocated to have Missouri HealthNet retroactively cover her healthcare expenses for August and September, as well. Finally, we worked with her to apply for food stamps to ease her financial burdens and help with her nutrition.
Since Southside Center has a medical clinic onsite, we now serve her primary care needs on an ongoing basis, as well as provide medical transportation, interpretation, and medical case management. She has made remarkable improvements as she is beginning to stabilize her conditions and gain weight. Through our comprehensive and holistic services, we will now work with her to locate affordable senior housing and continue to improve her financial stability.
