Mr. P is a 58 year old disabled veteran. He was living in an apartment but didn’t feel a sense of community there. Being a very social person, he felt confined to his apartment by his disability and having to get in and out of his wheelchair to go anywhere. The apartment complex was all ages, and while he enjoyed hearing the laughter of children at play, what Mr. P really wanted was to live with people closer to his own age. He’s considered young by Independent Living standards, but he has always related well to people older than himself.
Mr. P contacted us to find out what was available in the Portland area that would suit him. His budget wasn’t large, so that narrowed our search a bit, and we were glad he was willing to look in all areas of Portland and not limit himself to one particular neighborhood. After gathering pertinent information about him, we discussed three different Independent Living communities which would meet his needs, but in the end, Mr. P only wanted to go see one of them. He was driving, even with his limited mobility, so we decided to meet at the Independent Living community to take a tour.