Ms. W, age 77, was born and raised in a small mountain town in rural Tennessee. Her husband, who grew up 1 mile from her, joined the military out of high school and was stationed in Aberdeen, MD. They loved the area and decided to settle in Glen Burnie, MD after a short stint living with her sister-in-law. After saving up enough money, the couple searched for their forever home in the Baltimore area. They finally decided on the 2 bedroom rancher in Reisterstown, MD. She is close to many neighbors and has lived in the area for over 40 years. 

Just before her husband passed in 1981, Ms. W was working 3 jobs in order to afford her lifestyle, have health insurance, and to maintain her home. She worked as a hairdresser at a salon, cashier at 7/11 convenience store, and office manager. Feeling lonely in the home by herself, Ms. W decided to move with her brother to their hometown in Tennessee. After her brother passed away a few years later, she decided to return back to her home in Reisterstown. Recently, she has stopped driving after experiencing several mobility issues. Her sister and a home health aid help her handle everyday tasks around the house as well as taking Ms. W grocery shopping. 

Ms. W was always an independent woman and wanted to do what she could to maintain her mobility. “Getting in and out of the home was difficult.” says Ms. W about her experience. Before receiving home repairs, Ms. W would have to hang on to a post and swing herself up on the side entrance to get into the house from the carport. Now she can enter more safely. Accessibility and safety modifications for Ms. W’s home also included installing an accessible toilet,  handrails,  and grab bars throughout the home.

A sewer pipe leak in the basement, and the gas it produced, was making it unbearable to go down into the basement. This made completing every day tasks like washing clothes impossible for Ms. W. To further complicate things, everytime the washing machine would run, the lights in the house would flicker, indicating that electrical repairs were needed. Ms. W also had to use extension cords from working outlets all over the house.