PAUL

An 84-year-old Navy veteran referred to us back in 2014 by a case manager at a local skilled nursing facility, Paul was struggling to stay out of the hospital as he had poor blood circulation in his legs due to diabetes. Eventually, his leg had to be amputated below the knee and his therapy staff and attending physician felt strongly that he would not be able to continue living independently.

He insisted on returning to his apartment served by the Salvation Army Downtown. He’s been thriving at home for nearly three years. We assisted him by gaining approval to greatly increase the number of hours allotted to him by the County’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. We were also able to set him up with a home-delivered meals program, and perhaps most importantly, helped him adopt a small dog “Dobie” from the humane society. We help him enroll with P.A.W.S. which provides free dog food and discounted veterinary and grooming rates.

Home-delivered meals and a new best friend, Dobie the dog!

Sharp Healthcare has been excellent at providing him with an electric wheelchair, in-home therapy and nursing services, and wheelchair transport to medical appointments. He has no family, but since he walks his dog frequently, he has become friendly with many of his neighbors. Since returning home following his amputation in early 2016, he has only been hospitalized once, briefly, for an episode of pneumonia.

We remain a resource for Paul to help with an occasional errand, but for the most part, we stop in to visit regularly, often going out to lunch or to a Padres home game to which his ticket is complimentary.