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Isobel Gomez
| Given Isabel Gomez' full plate of responsibilities, as well as her personal needs, she finds the best philosophy to follow is "one day at a time." Such is the common predicament of a daughter or son who is the caretaker of a parent with severe Alzheimer's Disease and osteoporosis. At age 54 Isabel has held a number of professional positions over the years in the field of social services, but when her mother became very sick three years ago, Isabel knew she had to find work that allowed her more flexibility to tend to her mother's needs. The drawback was that leaving the job meant losing the benefits.
Isabel paid for COBRA coverage until that ran out and then she found herself in a position of not being able to afford personal health insurance - not a good feeling for someone who herself was dealing with various medical problems such as high blood pressure and a suspicious lump on her breast. "I didn't know what to do. I knew I needed care but how was I going to afford it. A friend told me to go to the Seton East Community Clinic which was the answer to my prayers."
Targeted toward people like Isabel who are working but don't have or can't afford health insurance, Seton McCarthy Community Health Center, Seton South Community Health Center and Seton Topfer Community Health Center offer a full range of services on a sliding scale fee structure. For Isabel, that meant first being seen by a primary care doctor and then being referred to a specialist who treated her for the suspicious lump. Later she also was diagnosed and is now participating in a diabetes management program - all provided at a discounted rate based on her personal income.
Despite her own health setbacks and the daily task of dealing with her ailing mother, Isabel still has energy to pursue a brighter future. "I am a certified gerontologist. I have my university degree in it and I see a huge need for a training program that teaches people how to care for ailing seniors." Isabel is serious about her endeavor and is currently enrolled in the successful Austin Business in Growth (BIG) enrichment program to learn how to grow her dream company. "I come from a hard-working family. My father came to this country and started a successful business with pennies in his pocket." For Isabel, her hope is that her own health holds out and her energy level maintains so she can do the same.
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