Not only was Walter Ren battling complex health issues like anxiety, depression, and congestive heart failure, but he was also falling behind in rent and utility payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At only 50-years-old, Walter experienced intense anxiety from potentially being evicted from his home in Sylmar because he owed about $12,000 in overdue rent and utility payments. Walter struggled with suicidal ideations due to family members passing from COVID-19. He was also extremely frustrated with the lack of support and care received for his chronic health conditions, which led to his hesitancy in accepting a new care coordinator from Partners in Care Foundation.
After the abrupt departure of his prior care coordinator, Walter was introduced to a new Partners care coordinator in early 2021. Their care plan was to meet twice a week, and to focus on improving his health conditions and literacy skills, as well as resolving his housing issue.
Walter revealed the severity of his chronic condition to his care coordinator and admitted that he had not visited a cardiologist or his primary care physician (PCP) in over 4 months. With assistance and encouragement from his care coordinator, they were able to contact his PCP office to request referral authorizations for a cardiologist. Once authorized, Walter and his care coordinator scheduled and coordinated a plethora of medical appointments including a cardiac stress test, EKG, and CT scans. He now attends appointments regularly and has a very good rapport with his PCP and cardiologist.
Walter’s care coordinator also contacted his landlord to understand the issues behind missed payments and reasons for eviction. They agreed on a one-time payment allocation of $5000, from Partners special needs fund, that would go towards Walter’s $12,000 rent balance, while the remaining $7000 was waived. It was important to Walter that he remained in his home, so they worked together on better budgeting skills to be able to make rent and utility payments moving forward. His care coordinator also discussed other tools including using free food resources in his community and finding a roommate to reduce his monthly expenses.
As Walter saw continuous improvement in his life, his morale boosted as well! He no longer has suicidal ideations as he utilizes mental health resources and speaks regularly to a therapist. He is also excited to enhance his literacy skills with free courses recommended by his care coordinator. He spends one hour a day participating in literacy courses and has noticed improvement in his reading and writing efficiency every week.
Walter is grateful for the care coordination services provided by Partners and is relieved to see a positive shift in his health and overall improvements in his life during these unprecedent times.
