Reading about the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Arkansas Foundation and the good it does for older people in the area is one thing, experiencing it is something else entirely.  Maura has experienced it.  Living in a small town in rural northwest Arkansas, she still speaks with the rich Irish accent of her birth country.  Maura is a friendly, creative woman who loves visiting with people.  She enjoys painting and knits lovely Irish sweaters.  Maura lives on a very limited income.  She lives in subsidized housing and at one point money was so tight that she did not even have telephone service.

In recent years, Maura’s health has deteriorated and she spent the better part of 2006 in a wheelchair.  On occasion, Maura has had problems with her blood pressure spiking and her doctor prescribed medication for those occasions.  One morning, she felt sure that this was one of those times – but hated to take the medication if it was not needed.  With no way to take it on her own, Maura set out in her wheelchair rolling down the highway to the doctor’s office to have her pressure checked.  Miraculously she made it to the doctor and back.  When she arrived at the clinic, her pressure was very high, no doubt escalated by her hurried trip wheeling.  When Brandy Wooden, case manager with the Area Agency on Aging of NW Arkansas, found out about the excursion, she decided to see if she could get a blood pressure machine for Maura to have at home.  She was able to use money from the Foundation’s Benton County senior assistance fund to purchase the machine.  Brandy explained to Maura that the assistance fund was set up to help people like herself (seniors in need) and that people donate money so that when we find older people in dire situations we can help them.  Maura was very appreciative of the foundation and of the contributors who helped make the blood pressure machine a reality.  It is sad to find seniors in need – it is even sadder not to be able to help them.  Thank you for your contributions.

If you would like to make a contribution to the Client Assistance Fund or if you have questions or need more information about opportunities for giving to the Area Agency on Aging Foundation call (870) 741-1144 or 1-800-432-9721 or email info@aaanwar.org