There is nothing more soothing than the rhythmic crash of the ocean waves, the salty breeze, and the endless sunsets. For John, the ocean has always been his sanctuary. A place where he finds peace, clarity, and inspiration. As a passionate photographer, he loves capturing the beauty of the ocean and nature in general. His love for traveling has taken him to breathtaking destinations like England and Scotland. Whether on the coastline or traveling, John always searched nature for inspiration.
Unfortunately traveling became rare as the past decade of John’s life was complicated by health issues. Emergency rooms, hospital beds and nurses became all too familiar. He experienced everything from complications of diabetes to complete heart and respiratory failure, never expecting his first helicopter ride to come from Life Star.
In 2023, as John was discharging from yet another nursing facility stay, he mentioned to the nursing staff that he was experiencing a persistent pain and burning sensation on the upper part of his middle toe, where a visible red mark had developed. Assuming it was merely due to pressure from improper footwear, he dismissed his concerns and went home. Once settled back at home, John’s visiting nurse examined the still sore toe, realizing it had rapidly doubled in size and become necrotic. He was rushed to the hospital for an emergency toe amputation and was later transferred to a different nursing facility. During a follow-up visit, he received devastating news: the infection had spread to his remaining four toes, necessitating their removal as well. John remained at the nursing facility for a year, bedridden for six months before finally beginning therapy. This was an incredibly hard time for John as in addition to trying to heal, he delt with unfavorable roommates, bad food and a lack of privacy. John knew he wanted to be back on his own but felt overwhelmed with his previous property and current healthcare needs. Thankfully, facility staff introduced him to the Money Follows the Person (MFP) program, a program that would assist him with all aspects of discharging from a nursing home.
While reflecting on his transition process, John shared, “The transition process was horrible. If it wasn’t for Money Follows the Person program, I would’ve probably gave up.” One of John’s biggest challenges was securing housing. Among other issues, he had to wait over two months for an inspection of his new apartment so he could move in. Adding to his frustration, he had purchased furniture but had to pay for storage until the inspection took place. After all the trouble John happily stated, “When everything was in place and over and done with, it was incredibly smooth after that.”
John praised the MFP staff on how efficient they were when it came to moving into his new apartment. They made sure he was stocked with groceries, had necessary appliances, and the proper medical equipment to allow him to live independently. He was very thankful that his MFP team could set up him up with a personal care assistant (PCA) and physical therapy services. John explained how these services greatly contribute to his ability to stay in his own apartment rather than a nursing home.
As John thinks about the biggest difference between living in a nursing home and living in the community, he is quick to mention having his own space with no roommate. Additionally, he’s happy to cook his own meals again. Even though he’s happy about living in the community, it does get lonely at times living by himself. He’s still working on his access to transportation and getting to know the community around him.
When reflecting on his overall experience with MFP, he summarized, “Money Follows the Person is a great program for anyone who needs help with getting housing assistance with services. I am very thankful for having the program.”
Read the CT Money Follows the Person Quarterly Report
MFP Demonstration Background
The Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration, created by Section 6071 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, supports States’ efforts to “rebalance” their long-term support systems, so that individuals can choose where to live and receive services. One of the major objectives of Money Follows the Person (MFP) is “to increase the use of home and community based, rather than institutional, long-term care services.” MFP supports this by offering grantee States an enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage on qualified services. MFP also offers states the flexibility to provide supplemental services, such as assistive technology and enhanced transition services, to assist in successful transitions. States are then expected to reinvest the savings over the cost of institutional services to rebalance their long-term services and supports for older adults and people with disabilities to a community-based orientation.
