Resource center keeps people in homes
Staff writer
Need help to stay at home or return home from a care facility? Need help with learning skills to live independently, such as washing clothes, cooking, or budgeting money? Need help with using a computer, finding a house to rent, or obtaining transportation or medical equipment?
Macy Gaines of the Resource Center for Independent Living can help.
Gaines’ office is in El Dorado, but she serves a five-county area including Marion and Butler counties.
She helps people obtain services like Medicare, Medicaid, Disability, and Social Security benefits.
She assists handicapped people with obtaining ramps if they need them.
She assists people with blind or low vision to orient themselves in their homes and increase their mobility.
Her agency has equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and bath benches to loan to people.
She helps people obtain funding for home modifications.
“We help people learn their choices and find the resources they need for the option they choose to live independently,” Gaines said.
If she can’t provide help over the phone, she is willing to meet with people to learn their needs wherever it is convenient or comfortable for them, such as in their home, at a restaurant or library, or in her office at 615½ Main St. in El Dorado.
To obtain help, call Gaines at (316) 322-7853 or send an email to macy.gaines@rciline.org.