moving, thoughts

[Guest guest]

Tess, dear, take the apartment. You are still going to be the same Tess everyone

loves. You are only moving to make things a little easier for you to get around

and without the horrid stairs to climb you will be more mobile and this sounds

like a wonderful plan to me. Now, tell us all the details about your new home.

Hugs

June

[Guest guest]

Tess,

I have been meaning to write to you all weekend but kept getting distracted.

As a housing professional, I want to tell you that as long as your doctor feels

you need an accessible unit, take it while you have the chance. It is a

nightmare for landlords when they have a good tenant who has reached the point

that they need an accessible unit and one is not available. Everyone, including

the landlord, would rather have you in a ground floor now rather than needing

one a year from now when one is not available.

Also, if you can avoid using the stairs and putting all of that stress on your

hips and knees, you may stay mobile longer. You have enough to deal with, you

don't need to add more of load on yourself.

It is always difficult to learn to say that you are handicapped or disabled.

However, if we accept these labels before we loose our mobility, we may keep

walking longer. I hope you are one of those who never looses your ability to

walk and caution now may make all the difference.

This is a true story. We had a tenant in one of our local buildings who wanted a

handicap unit and we could not figure out why - she was young and appeared to be

quite healthy. Finally the manager asked her why she needed the handicap unit

and she replied 'I am a dance student and the handicap units have longer, wider

hallways so I can dance in my apartment'. Needless to say, she did not get a

handicap unit. So don't worry about taking the unit from someone who needs it

more - it may in up occupied by someone who needs it less than you do.

Pat