Ms. Smith is a proud Nashvillian, Christian, and family woman. She worked for 37 years before retiring but quickly became a caregiver for others in her family. Her caregiving extended to her nephew after he became homeless in 2018. Their bond grew after he moved in with her. In the mornings, they both rose early as he went to work, and she prepared for the day ahead.
Since then, things have changed drastically. Her 53-year-old nephew experienced a life altering stroke. His care was cut short, as he was given no therapy due to lack of insurance. He tried to call TennCare as he lay in the hospital bed, taking hours of time that should have been dedicated to recovering. He was denied.
Matters were further complicated by his diabetes, in which he had to pay out-of-pocket for necessary medical equipment, such as his glucose monitor. For a while, he had no way to get medicine. The lack of overall care has left him with multiple physical impairments, making it difficult to just get out of bed, let alone fight for insurance coverage.
Ms. Smith’s nephew faced challenges with receiving TennCare and help from the CHOICES program. First, the process itself; these programs provide limited options for engagement, including online forms he couldn’t access and telephone calls that he often could not answer in time due to his impairments. Second, the knowledge barriers; the expectation of the system is that everyone should know how to navigate it despite lack of education. Her nephew experienced this expectation's harm firsthand as he stumbled through the process with little aid from the program.
The struggles that her nephew faced are unfortunately not unique. Thousands of Tennesseans lack access to stable technological resources and lack education in the technology arena, making programs inaccessible. Further, many Tennesseans with disabilities, such as Ms. Smith’s nephew, may struggle with the standards of the program, such as websites. “Everything on websites is inaccessible, especially when people are sick!”
Due to these issues, Ms. Smith reached out to the Tennessee Justice Center. She had discovered TJC when a member of her church needed help with TennCare access in the past. With the help of TJC, they were able to access TennCare and gain the benefit of the CHOICES program, which helps assist those with disabilities in daily living.
Currently, her nephew is waiting on disability benefits and continues to rely on Ms. Smith for support while navigating his medical needs. “God put us on this earth to help people. Helping people requires action not talk.”
Comments