The Lapham Park Venture operates within the Lapham Park Elderly Housing Development, in Milwaukee, WI. Lapham Park is located within a few blocks of Milwaukee’s downtown.

The wealth of older adults is staggering. So is their poverty. If you are one of the 1 million older adults living in public housing, you are among the poorest of the poor and face the triple threat of poverty, frail health and isolation, which in turn places you most at-risk for nursing home placement. Today, we’d like to introduce you to one of these 1 million older adults. To protect her privacy, let’s call her Rose Miller.

Rose Miller is very typical of the other 200 older adults living at Lapham Park. Rose is 84 years old. Her annual income, like that of her neighbors, is less than $7,000. And although Rose worked as a waitress from the time she was 16 until she was 65, She earned no pension and had no health care benefits.

On a daily basis Ms. Miller struggles with 5 major health diseases – all of which can be directly traced back to a lifetime of poverty. Because Rose was unable to afford hypertension medication or properly care for her diabetes, she is now a double amputee, has failing eyesight, and is severely depressed.

Before the Lapham Park Venture, Ms. Miller’s future was this: EVICTION NURSING HOME PLACEMENT SUICIDE

The Lapham Park Venture brought together experts in the areas of: Gerontology Medical Arts Housing and Social Services – to provide integrated, interdisciplinary, quality care on-site at Lapham Park.

Today, because of the Venture Ms. Miller is able to take a bath. No longer does Ms. Miller struggle to take a lukewarm sponge bath at her bathroom sink. The Venture’s therapeutic bathing spa allows Rose Miller to bathe everyday in a real bathtub with privacy and with dignity.

Rose Miller is no longer suicidal. Some of the credit for this goes to proper medication, a gentle exercise program and good quality healthy meals, eaten with new friends and neighbors. But a lot of the credit for Ms. Miller’s new joy in life must be credited to the friendship of the Venture nurse who discovered Ms. Miller’s deep passion for the Mississippi Delta Blues.

The Venture provided Rose Miller with a CD player and taught her how to use it. Now, the gruff gospel sounds of Blind Willie Johnson singing, “Let Your Light Shine on Me,” wraps Miss Miller in comfort during a long, dreary night or a sultry summer day.

The Lapham Park Venture did not erase the 84 years of race, gender, health care and income discrimination that shaped the life of Rose Miller. But today, because of the Venture, Rose Miller and her neighbors have access to the same care and quality of care as do their more affluent peers.

Rose can now look forward to remaining in her own home – be it ever so humble. And, the discrimination and disparity in care and services that exists among the 1 million elderly living in public housing - is now less 200.

The lower level of Lapham Park was renovated to provide a state-of-the-art medical clinic as well as community space – replicating Walnut Street from the 1930s’ and 1940s’. The Venture is very grateful to all our benefactors - who shared the dream, understood the vision, and reached out a hand to help carry the costs.

VENTURE OUTCOMES 96% of the Lapham Park residents are able to age-in-place Over $1 million in Medicaid nursing home costs are saved on an annual basis A continuum of care for low-income older adults with traditional high-end amenities are provided by reallocating limited financial resources - without any additional cost to the resident Agency collaboration strengthens services to residents Builds and sustains community among the Lapham Park residents

LET A LITTLE LIGHT SHINE ON US

S.E.T. Ministry Service Empowerment Transformation Justice Dignity Collaboration Community

Provides a single point of access to services for people 60 years of age and older, and is the central point for planning and administrating services for Milwaukee County’s older adults.

A Partnership dedicated to helping older adults live within their community

Medical Partners Marquette University St. Mary’s Family Practice Residency Program Wisconsin Medical College

Oh, Let a Little Light…….

© 1993 Sony Music Entertainment Inc. The Complete Blind Willie Johnson “Dark was the Night – Cold was the Ground” “Let Your Light Shine On Me” /Manufactured by Columbia Records © 2001 Housing Authority City of Milwaukee/Bella Bear Productions