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Meet Fernita, A CAPABLE Partner

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This past year we have partnered with the Colorado Visiting Nurses Association to launch the Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) Program. To date, we’ve partnered with sixty seniors across metro Denver.

One of our most recent CAPABLE partners is 79-year old Fernita who has lived in Denver for a total of fifty years. Fernita is ambitious, joyful and feels like she can now conquer her goals because of the CAPABLE Program.

“CAPABLE made me feel safer, cared for, and that I matter,” Fernita shared with us. “This has made my life easier and I feel like I can live here on my own for much longer.”

Fernita had a scary fall and suffered tremendous pain in her arms which decreased her overall mobility. She was unable to reach her cabinets without experiencing intense nerve pain. Habitat for Humanity was able to assist Fernita by installing pull-out drawers in the kitchen, grab bars in the bathroom, and leveling her carpet, which has allowed her to use her walker without any worries about tripping. Fernita is now able to make her famous buttermilk pies without skipping a beat, and her increased mobility has soothed her nerve pain. “These repairs really add spice to my cooking and even more spice to my life,” Fernita shares.

She loves her neighborhood and can now confidently visit her friends and attend church. “I am so excited to join my church choir now, and I love baking goods for my church family.” Fernita continues, “I have so many goals that I can focus on. I hope to start a nonprofit focused on building healthy relationships through forgiveness and love. I know I can do it now.”

We asked Fernita if she would recommend the CAPABLE program to other seniors, she smiled and answered, “Absolutely… the whole staff was extremely friendly, on task, and so professional, they even went out of their way to put up curtains in my home for me that I couldn’t reach.”

“I feel so much better that I am cared for and cared about, I always get up every day and keep moving forward.”

CAPABLE demonstrates that modest investments in home repairs or modifications can help seniors remain in their homes longer, improve health outcomes, and decrease medical costs. This includes ten 60- to 90-minute home visits with an occupational therapist, a registered nurse, and Habitat Metro Denver staff who all come together to evaluate the needs of the individual and identify how to improve their lives.