“Get me outta here,” was the first thing Bertie said to the Case Manager.

She had been admitted to a nursing home after a short stay in the hospital. She was supposed to go home when she recovered, but no one had helped her go home.

She had a house, but she needed help moving back in, turning the utilities on, and getting her Social Security check sent to her bank for deposit. She couldn’t do it all by herself, and needed the help of a family member or trained professional.

Bertie’s family no longer lived close by, and frankly didn’t visit her very often. She loved her children and they loved her, but she felt alone when it came to her own care.

All of Bertie’s long-time neighbors were frail, in a nursing home, or had passed away. They were not a source of help for her anymore.

With a grant from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, formerly Public Aid, there is help for people who are “stuck” in a nursing home like Bertie.

A program called “Home Again” provides a specially trained Case Manager to arrange for a safe return to the community by setting up services and helping the older person move. In Southern Illinois, this service is arranged through the Shawnee Alliance for Seniors.

Over fifty people in nursing homes have been referred to the Home Again program and Shawnee Alliance for Seniors. Over twenty have returned home from a nursing home since last year.

However, not every referral results in someone returning home. The older person’s safety is a big concern. When safe arrangements can be made, the Case Manager helps set up services in the home and often helps them move. When the older person’s home has been sold, the Case Manager finds an apartment and furniture for the older person.

Bertie had recovered from the illness that sent her to the nursing home. With the help of the Case Manager, she safely returned home. She is much happier at home, and continues to live a successful and purposeful life there.

If you would like more information about the Home Again program, call Shawnee Alliance for Seniors.

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