November 21, 2009
UTNE READER

Underground Railroad

September-October 2008
by Staff, Utne Reader 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

A new Underground Railroad is shepherding folks to freedom. Like its antebellum precursor, this network of good Samaritans navigates societal roadblocks to offer safe passage to those stripped of independence. In this 21st-century rendition, though, the freedom seekers are disabled people stashed away in nursing homes to wait out their lives among the country’s elderly. 

RELATED CONTENT

New Mobility (May 2008) reports that, when faced with disabling injuries that raid their income and burden their families, many people end up in nursing homes as a last-ditch option, unaware of independent-living centers or how to manage the maze of Social Security, Medicaid, Section 8 housing, and personal care–assistance programs. 

That’s where the Underground Railroad comes in. Since the early 1990s, advocates have been helping people move from nursing homes in Tennessee—which New Mobility labels a black hole when it comes to disability services—to independent living in Colorado. In other cases, the journey is much shorter, but no less significant: an intra-city trip from a nursing home to a local apartment. 

To prepare for the move, people get homework assignments such as securing valid identification, applying for benefits, and learning the ropes of public transportation. Breaking the cycle of dependence is demanding, but worth the effort. Now, says 50-year-old Devoe Mack, who moved from a Memphis nursing home to an assisted-living apartment in Denver, “I’m living, not just existing.”

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

We’d like to know what you think. To comment, please use this form. E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments. First time registrants: You will receive an email confirming your email address. Once you confirm, your comment will be posted. Questions about our comments policy? Click here.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Utne Reader?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save $6!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $29.95 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $36 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!