I recently moved, broken-hearted, from American House on Carpenter Road in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It is a simple and elegant facility where I thought I could stay for the rest of my life. I intended to, and I actively planned to. And for seniors without a disability, who don’t need physical or mental assistance, I can totally see how it could be the best experience of their lifetimes. I miss it tremendously, as most of the residents were exceptionally friendly and helpful. Still, I was able to stay there for only a year and a half; as a person with a disability, I had the worst experience of my life dealing with Ace Home Health Care there.

American House no longer has Ace—its corporation contracts with a new care team for residents with disabilities now. And Ace was on its last legs–with only five caregivers left on its team–when I left on January 31, 2024. Hopefully it has dissolved by now. But if it hasn’t, I need to warn other people and organizations about Ace Home Health Care. I hope to God no one has to go through the hell I went through.

 

There are two reasons Ace got away with all of its atrocities: one is because its team wasn’t accountable to anyone, please see my post The Hidden Implications of Outside Care in the ‘Wheelie Politics’ category, and the other reason is because some of the things it got away with are literally unbelievable.

American House, the independent living facility for seniors, is rich in social and recreational opportunities that could have enriched my life immensely, and despite the careless health care team that it provided for residents with disabilities, I was able to benefit from these opportunities. My social life flourished, and I spread joy by ‘dancing’ in the lobby, zooming around doing figure eights in my motorized chair. Ace stripped me of an awful lot of self esteem and dignity, but I coped well and soldier on through the lasting trauma from Ace now. I am not there anymore.

 

So kudos to American House for trying to include people with disabilities in its residence. The facility makes it clear on the sign on its facade that it is meant for senior independent living, but it opens its arms to people with disabilities too, of course with elevators, wheelchair accessible apartments, and a van equipped to hold manual wheelchairs–but with an outside care team working there, assisted living is more or less like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I appreciated the simple elegance, welcoming residents, and fulfilling opportunities of American House, but its poor choices in health care teams has got to go.

 

Please see related posts No Good Choices, The Hidden Implications of Outside Care, Society Has to Make up its Mind, and Assisted Living for Us, all of which are in the ‘Wheelie Politics’ category.