For Valentin Quintero, the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging’s Senior Fund represents a Borderland gift of independence and safety.
Quintero, a diabetic of 32 years, contracted COVID-19 in June 2020, initially spending 15 days in the hospital before experiencing heart problems, which led to a myriad of issues, including an ulcer in his left leg and the eventual removal of his right leg below the knee in January 2023.
Though he has a prosthetic leg, Quintero has not yet gained the stamina to use it and has been laboring in a wheelchair for the last two years. That has caused problems with navigation in his home, especially when taking a bath.
That’s when the Senior Fund stepped in — in September, the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging paid for a new shower for Quintero, complete with grab bars and a removable shower head, and has helped him with transportation to and from physical therapy sessions.
“For me, it’s been a 100% gain,” Quintero, 71, said in Spanish. “I feel so much safer and I have friends that still try to bathe themselves and they’ve had falls, broken hips, arms, just basic things like cleaning themselves, and they end up worse than they were before.”
“I always worry about the other people who don’t know this exists.”
Before his bathroom modification, Quintero was relying on his son or daughter to help him in and out of the bath, but the Senior Fund has made that a thing of the past.
“I’m so grateful for this program because now I feel confident when I bathe myself, I do it in on my own time and I feel safe,” he said. “Whenever I needed the help, it’s been there and I’ve been able to access it.”
This holiday season the El Paso Times is partnering again in efforts to help others – the Senior Fund.
The Senior Fund campaign, which kicks off today and runs through the holiday season, is focused on helping older El Pasoans with health and housing needs remain in their homes.
The Senior Fund has been a continuous support to El Paso’s older adults for close to 30 years.
How to contribute
The Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging partnered with the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, establishing the Senior Fund as a Designated Fund receiving enhanced financial support.
A secure online donation can be made by visiting the Paso del Norte Community Foundation website and selecting the Senior Fund page.
Check or money order donations made payable to the Senior Fund can also be mailed to 221 N. Kansas St., Suite 1900, El Paso, TX 79901.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Senior Fund provides El Paso man new bathtub, sense of independence
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
