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Now a grant to help those individuals transition from nursing homes to the community is becoming even more accessible.
At home, Richard Gray can recover from his new replacement surgery with a leg up.
"It was not home," he says. "There's no place like home."
But without the help of the Money Follows the Person grant, he might have had to stay in a nursing rehab center even longer.
"In my heart, it just feels good to have him back," says Janice Gray, Richard's wife.
The funds help seniors and disabled people transition from nursing homes back to the community. Now living independently is something folks like the Grays are hearing more about.
"Many times they had to
vocalize it to the right person, an organization, make phone calls," says
Cari Wright with the
Wright adds that the grant provides up to $2,400 per person and helps break down the barriers of moving back into the community.
"They're not going to have that bed and the linens and the pots and pans that maybe some others would have had."
Wright says individuals must qualify for Medicaid, home and community-based services, and must have lived in a nursing home for at least three months.
"We had nothing to worry about," says Richard.
For the Grays, the grant made the task of moving more black and white.
"Be able to enjoy my dog and my wife. We were going to be back together again."
And provided them with a leap toward independent living.
The grant money is available through 2016.
If you're
interested, you can contact a social worker at a nursing facility, or the
