Stanley, age 86, is a veteran and proudly independent. As he returned home from a stay in the hospital, his cousin in Flagstaff reached out to Maricopa County Senior and Adult Services when she realized he was no longer able to drive himself to the grocery store and the distance prevented her from frequent trips.
Senior and Adult Services staff conducted an initial assessment and determined that due to his recent health issues, Stanley might be a good candidate for home care in addition to home-delivered meals. A home visit was coordinated. It was during this visit that staff learned that Stanley has lived in his home for more than 60 years and along the way, he has collected quite a few things that he felt very passionate about.
Over the years, Stanley had found various ingenious ways to adapt his living spaces as his collections grew and the condition of his home deteriorated. The home had large piles of trash and items covering the floor, with only a narrow pathway into the kitchen and dining room areas. These conditions presented safety and health hazards.
Staff informed Stanley that he qualified to receive help with housekeeping and personal care, but only following a significant clean-up of his house. While he agreed to have meals delivered daily and was grateful that someone would be checking on him frequently, Stanley wasn’t initially fond of the idea of a home clean-up. He was concerned about having people enter his home and removing or damaging his important possessions, and he felt the project would just be too overwhelming.
Senior and Adult Services staff explained the benefits that a clean-up would provide and emphasized that the clean-up would be at no cost to him. He agreed to meet with a biohazard cleaning provider in his home to learn more about the process. After learning how the clean-up would happen, Stanley agreed to the plan that involved a crew of five to eight people at his home for a couple of days.
The clean-up was focused on ensuring safe, unobstructed access to his kitchen, dining room, and bathroom. Once the clean-up was completed, Stanley said he was “happy, happy, happy” with the results. Stanley’s cousin was very grateful for the help and shared that his situation had been worrying her because it was beyond her ability to assist.
Now, with his home cleaner and safer, Stanley will remain enrolled in the Senior Program to ensure he continues to receive home-delivered meals and to allow the Senior and Adult Services team to monitor his needs.
This is one of the many ways that the caring staff of Maricopa County’s Human Services Department is making a meaningful difference in the lives of county residents. Learn more about the services and support available through the Senior and Adult Services Division at Maricopa.gov/SASD.