Is it possible to ‘treat’ poverty for better health?

Taunya English
WHYY
The Pulse
August 11, 2016

“People get very excited about doorbells, in many cases the doorbell they’ve got doesn’t work or was taken out at some point. If an ambulance needs to come, it’s nice having a doorbell,” said Gary Felser, the research-project handyman, and construction supervisor for Civic Works in Baltimore.

He also does work for that city’s senior home-repair program.

At a 1920s bungalow in Baltimore—one of Felser’s Cities for All Ages assignments—he had a long punch list that included putting in a raised toilet seat and hanging a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

While Felser was sweating in the Baltimore heat, homeowner Christine looked cool with her snowy-white hair pinned in a neat bun. Not much bothers the 88 year old, but she does worry about identity theft and senior scams, so she asked to use just her first name.

Christine and her husband raised six children in the home, but these days it’s hard for Christine to keep up with small repairs. Earlier this year, she almost slipped in the bathtub.

So Felser installed grab bars in the bathroom. He mounted new overhead lights leading down to the cellar basement, and put up a second, sturdier bannister, so Christine can hold on as she walks down the steep wooden stairs to do laundry.

Read the full article and listen to the story: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/thepulse/item/96190-is-it-possible-to-treat-poverty-for-better-health-