Client Profiles : Mr. U.'s Story

Mr. U.'s Story

Mr. U. is a 75-year-old, Russo-Jewish American man and a native New Yorker. A well-known Conservator, he specialized in art preservation and restoration for over fifty years. He is now semi-retired due to abdominal surgery last year and his subsequent lengthy recovery. His extensive work experience was mostly freelance, so his monthly Social Security income is low and must be supplemented with SSI of $187. He covers the cost of his supplies and adds to his income by working when he can, but due to the market, his age, and his delicate health, jobs are infrequent and that source of revenue is no longer dependable.

When Mr. U. came to One Stop he was already receiving Food Stamps and Medicaid, but his low income and high medical bills contributed to an arrears situation. He was eight months behind in his rent. Murray Hill SRO referred him to One Stop to get help with a One Shot deal through HRA, which he received. To prevent future arrears, we re-certified Mr. U. for SCRIE, and secured a stipendiary grant of from the Isaac H. Tuttle Fund to help him pay his rent.

In talking with Mr. U., it became clear that he needed additional services. He had a long-standing dispute with his boarder whom he had asked to leave several times. The presence of the boarder was preventing Mr. U. from having access to homecare and other services he now needed. The One Stop worker accompanied Mr. U. to Housing Court for support regarding this legal matter.

One Stop worked closely with the Murray Hill SRO, Volunteers of Legal Services (VOLS), and Tuttle Fund staff to ensure that Mr. U. could get what he needed and the boarder would not be on the street after the eviction took place. The boarder, who was an unemployed, unmedicated schizophrenic, was referred to Goddard Riverside's Project Reach Out, a program serving homeless people and people with severe mental illness who are at risk for homelessness. The boarder left Mr. U.'s apartment of his own accord before the eviction date.

To stabilize Mr. U.'s situation, his apartment required heavy duty cleaning, and he needed regular housekeeping services and regular medical care. The One Stop worker is in contact with his physician and participates in joint visits with a Casa III nurse to ensure regular medical check-ups and consistent monitoring of his medication. He also needed to have a filing system developed so that he could access and keep better track of his financial information. Mr. U. is forgetful due to the beginnings of dementia. He needs to be reminded of appointments, and have his correspondence checked to prevent delays in bill payment. In addition, the apartment needs major repairs and we are working with management to make sure the work gets done.