At 91 years old, Rosemarie has spent a lifetime overcoming hardships, raising a family, and putting others first. Now, she needs our help.
Rosemarie was born in 1935 and raised in Slavic Village. In 1955 she married.
Together, she and husband worked tirelessly to build a modest three-bedroom home. Unfortunately, after 21 years of marriage, she was left to raise their four young children, ages 4, 8, 12, and 14, on her own.
With only a high school education and an unwavering determination, she began working as a cashier at Forest City Enterprises. Through years of hard work and persistence, she steadily advanced, ultimately retiring as an executive assistant in the advertising division. She built her life through sacrifice, perseverance, and determination.
Rosemarie went on to become a proud grandmother and great-grandmother. But the devastating loss of a beloved grandchild nearly eight years ago, followed by declining health and Alzheimer's disease, changed her life forever. Today, she depends on her family for everything.
Her four children have remained devoted to her. Her youngest son even left his career to become her Medicaid-paid caregiver, earning just $17 an hour. Together, they are determined to honor their promise to keep their mother in the home she loves rather than subject her to the confusion and heartbreak of a nursing home. But they cannot do it alone.
Despite two doctors appealing for around-the-clock care, Medicaid currently provides only 35 hours per week. The family is on their 2nd appeal for a wheelchair as Rosemarie's mobility declines due to severe, bone-on-bone knee degeneration that leaves her in unbearable pain.
Rosemarie was always financially responsible, carefully planning for retirement. But her savings and investments have been exhausted, and her home has been reversed mortgaged. Those funds are expected to run out in January 2027.
She now needs 24-hour care, seven days a week. Her children have sacrificed their time, health, and financial security to keep her safe at home, but the physical and emotional demands are becoming overwhelming.
They aren't asking for luxury. They are asking for a chance to keep their 91-year-old mother where she feels safest—surrounded by her home, her memories, and the family she loves. In an act of transparency we want you to know the hours that need to be covered and the hourly wage we are currently paying. We will not ask for money for bills, food, or her personal needs as the family will help cover that. We're asking for money to cover her care. This is the current schedule:
M-F 11am-6pm is covered by Medicaid = $0
Tuesday 6pm-11am covered by family = $0
M-W-Th-Friday 6pm-11am @17hrs/day x 4 days a week = $1,360
Sat-Sun 24hr = 48hr x $20/hr = $960
Total per week $2,320
Total per month $9,280
Imagine a woman who worked so hard, raised four children alone, and spent a lifetime providing for others, being forced to leave the home she worked so hard to build simply because she can no longer afford the care she desperately needs.
Please help Rosemarie remain in the home she loves. Every donation, act of kindness, or offer of volunteer help can make a difference. Her family welcomes accountability and any support that can help make this possible. After a lifetime of giving to others, Rosemarie deserves the comfort, dignity, and love of spending her remaining years at home. Please help us make that possible.
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
