Slipping through the cracks. That's how officials at the Simonka Place women's shelter in Keizer describe the case, and more realistically, the life of Kathy, a 45-year-old woman living at the shelter temporarily.
Simonka Place took her in with the intent of helping her get health-care coverage and a place to live, but through a series of events, she remains at the shelter and, worse, is shut off from the outside world because she doesn't have a wheelchair that works.
The hospital didn't discharge her with one; wheelchairs are considered durable medical goods, and insurance or private parties must pay for the expense. And since Kathy doesn't have insurance and because she can't work, she can't yet afford to buy wheels of her own.
Connie Crawford Lain, Simonka Place's director of development and fiscal resources, said Kathy has "jumped through all the right hoops" trying to get the health-care coverage and Social Security income that would enable her to get a wheelchair, but unfortunately, she's mired in the paperwork nightmare known as federal assistance. Kathy isn't looking for someone to give her a wheelchair; she'd simply like to borrow one until she gets one of her own.
Crawford Lain said Kathy has been waiting patiently nearly two months for her presumptive Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income hearings, which is official turkey cry for "she'll probably qualify, but someone has to rubber stamp it first." Meanwhile, Kathy is confined to a few rooms because the only wheelchair the shelter could scrounge up was umpteen sizes too big for Kathy to maneuver. It also lacks foot rests and is far too heavy for her to push with her arms.
"I wish I could say her story is unique," Crawford Lain said. "But Simonka Place is filled with women waiting to break through the red tape of bureaucracy. These women and children are so highly motivated to help themselves, but they are often just stuck because of hurdles placed in their way."
Officials of various local, state and federal agencies did find Kathy some housing, but oops: It wasn't handicapped-accessible for someone who uses a wheelchair.
Now, I can understand the oversight. Since Kathy doesn't have a wheelchair -- because someone hasn't yet approved its purchase or rental -- she isn't in one, so why would she need housing that accommodates one?
Need another example of frustration? Simonka Place can safely house 45 to 50 women and children seeking refuge from abuse, addiction or illness -- mental, physical or terminal. Yet its numbers are swelling to 60 people because folks like Kathy have to stay longer than expected. The shelter has two-week, three-month or one-year plans for self-sufficiency, but Kathy's in a plan of her own through no fault of her own.
"She won't be put out on the street because Kathy continues to do her part to be on her own. Kathy's doing everything she can to find independence and physical and emotional health; we just wish we could help her more," Crawford Lain said.
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