Mrs. Pearl B.

As part of National Falls Prevention Awareness Day on September 22, Rebuilding Together is working alongside an Occupational Therapist to make Mrs. Pearl B.’s home fall free. The National Council on Aging reports that every year, one in three Americans aged 65+ falls and every 29 minutes, an older adult dies following a fall.

Pearl B. is a 72 year old. She lives in Oklahoma City with her daughter and son-in-law, who help with general upkeep of the home and yard. Pearl has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since 1970. In 2010 she had bilateral knee replacements. She currently uses a walker to get around most rooms in her home and outside of the home. She has a lap dog of about 12 pounds named Pepper that stays by her side.

Pearl performs many duties in her home including washing dishes and doing her own laundry. She works as a volunteer from home for her church by creating a prayer list. Pearl also enjoys social visits from her pastor and fellow church members. She enjoys her word search as a leisure activity. Pearl collects tea pots and other trinkets.

To help prevent falls in Pearl’s house we will increase lighting in kitchen and hallway by install new light fixtures; install grab bars on bedroom wall so there is a safe grip for her; replace thresholds between living room and kitchen, between kitchen and pantry, and between hallway and bathroom; and also spray non-slip material on shower floor. One small change that can also add to lighting and preventing falls is painting rooms in the home to increase brightness and visibility. Therefore, we will also be painting inside and outside the home. Additionally, our Occupational Therapist will spend some time with Mrs. B. and her family teaching them about household safety.

Learn more about Falls Prevention Awareness Day.

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis

Mr. Lewis (90) and Mrs. Lewis (80) have been married for 65 years! They have been living in their South Eastern Oklahoma City home for 49 of those years; with time they have been unable to keep the house up to the standard they would have liked. The Lewis’s house was in need of several safety repairs, including a wheel chair ramp, shower bench, and grab bars in the bathroom. Rebuilding Together OKC has made those safety repairs along with repair to the electrical source entering the house. There is still much more work to be done for this lovely couple!

Before After

 

Ms. Mary Allen

Ms. Mary Allen has lived in her Oklahoma City home for more than 12 years. She retired from her job at AT&T after working for the company almost three decades. Mary spends her time at church functions and participating in the Women of Worship group.

Recently Mary’s health has deteriorated putting her on oxygen most of the day. Because of this, she was unable to make necessary repairs on her own home. Rebuilding Together stepped in, along with volunteers from Heritage Hall, to complete these much needed home improvements.

Ms. Allen said she is very grateful for what RT has done for her. To see more pictures from the work day at her home visit our Facebook Photo Album.

Mr. Harris “Heroes At Home”

With the help of a grant from Sears, Rebuilding Together and Sears are working together to preserve and strive to improve the lives of military families through extensive home rehabilitations. Mr. Harris and his family were the happy recipients of this Heroes at Home Grant from Sears.

Mr. Harris, 78, is a Korean War veteran who was assigned to the 1st Infantry division. Although he lives alone, his neighbors look out for him. He was a truck driver for 27 years. He raised his stepchildren in this home and took in his mother-in-law when she became a widow. He is wheelchair bound due to worn knee joints. To make his home more accessible, Rebuilding Together, with the help of the funds from Sears, built a new ramp and installed a threshold ramp… In the kitchen, a new countertop, sink, faucet and refrigerator were installed. We will also remove his carpet and polish the wood floors, install a grab bar in the shower and remove the shower doors, add offset hinges to widen his bathroom door, install a new toilet and wall sink, and paint the interior of his home. He will get new light fixtures and ceiling fans and a heater in his bathroom. Repairs to his home will drastically improve his living conditions and will also improve the appearance of the neighborhood – and remind everyone that there are people who care about each other. Thanks to volunteers from Boeing, Tinker, Junior Hospitality, the A Team Ramp Builders, and many community volunteers for making a difference for Mr. Harris.