68 years old and Homeless

Woman, 68 years old and Homeless.

I never thought this would happen to me. Never in a million years. But here it is, 68 years old and homeless, no roof. I once knew country club living, but after a bitter divorce, I was left with basically nothing. Two suitcases full of my clothes, my mother’s lamp, and my golf clubs. I had been a championship golfer back then, winning many tournaments. From there I became the caregiver to my dearest friend who had Alzheimer’s. For years I cared for her, in and out of nursing homes. Then after fourteen years she finally past away and I became a person looking for a room to rent. I went from roommate to roommate, either they were getting married, starting a life of their own, or thy died, or they just moved due to life’s circumstances. My last roommate is selling her house and has told me I need to leave. So here I am, 68 and homeless.

I make $680 a month in Social Security, and because of bad health and no secondary health insurance I am in debt up to my eyeballs. I had vertebra fusion in my neck three months ago, and have been immobile since. Bills come in everyday, doctors, or other procedures that were done. I was amazed when I saw the first bill. For some reason I believed Medicare paid for all ‘in’ hospital bills, but not so. In total, I’m probably $10,000 in medical debt. The bills that come everyday are pileing up on my dresser. The stack of envelopes stand at least six inches tall now. In fact I just got my first letter, saying they were sending it on to collections if they didn’t hear from me, so I sent them a payment of $300. This I hope will keep them still for a while.

I called a company today that owns low cost housing. One problem, the woman on the phone told me there’s a years wait list, but I’m to fill out the application anyway. “Okay,” I said, then asked if she knew what people did in my case, no roof, soon, over my head. She said, no, she couldn’t help me, maybe Social Services could. I asked her where to call for this service, and she said she couldn’t give out that information. By then I was crying when thanked her and hung up. I lay on my bed after praying, because I didn’t know what else to do. A crying prayer. A pleading prayer. For some reason I ‘still’ believe there is a God. Why I have no idea, something to do with growing up Catholic, I guess. You never lose it. This faith, I mean.

But still the question is: Where will I go? I don’t even have a vehicle to get me there if something should come up. I found a penny on heads yesterday, and thought, Okay things are going to change, there going to get better. However, today it’s the same, nothing different. Still facing ‘no roof’.

I did run across a homeless shelter much further down from where I live now, in south Florida, but from what I read, you cannot stay there all day. You can sleep there. You have a bed. I guess that’s something. Maybe I will take a bag with some clothes in it and tie it to the bed, then in the daytime walk the streets. Then I think, what happens if it rains, what happens if it’s cold. What happens? What happens? What happens? Why is it we have become so dependent on money? I know people say they could live without it. But if you notice it’s always the person with money who says that. Go ask the person living on the street if they’d be happier with money. I bet they’d say, ‘yes’.
I’ve tried to tell the person I’m renting a room from how afraid I am. She says she knows. But does she really?

So this is my story, and for some reason I’m thinking there are a lot of other stories just like mine out there. ‘Single elderly woman, Homeless.’

If anyone has ideas for me please answer this plea. It will be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Rose Lamatt
Author of ‘Just a Word’.


March 27, 2010
An Update on what’s been happening. I’m packing my belongings for what I don’t know. I called Catholic Charities, and the woman on the phone gave me a place I could possibly stay. Seniors housing. Rent is $587 a month, ‘not’ including electric, water, cable, wash/dryer’. The gal at Catholic Charities said, “nothing is free!” What is the purpose of a Charity? I didn’t expect free, but I thought maybe something that my income of $680 a month could handle, till I got a job as caregiver, or something else, when my neck operation heals. My faith is dwindling. I feel I’m hitting a brick wall, no matter who I email or call.