Jerry's Plea: Home Care for Brother Tom

Hello, my name is Jerry Pullen.

My brother Tom, who many of you know as a kind, helpful person, started this journey in the ICU at St. Mary’s Hospital here in Reno, NV. Tom, who has cerebral palsy, developed early onset dementia as a result of a fall in early 2023. He was living with a good friend and her family, and this past Sunday/Monday, he got outside in the middle of the cold night in his pjs, fell, and apparently was unconscious. When found, he was unresponsive and taken to the hospital by ambulance with a temperature of 78.3 degrees... 20 degrees less than normal. He also has other issues as a result of the fall. Tracey and I battled with Medicare/Medicaid to get him into a full-time care facility, if he got out of the hospital, as he needs 24-hour care. Our battle was unsuccessful because Tom earns about $300 more than what is allowed for Medicaid. His medical insurance was canceled in July. We tried to get a Medicaid group home waiver but have been unsuccessful, and some of those homes are less than acceptable. He has been designated dischargeable from the hospital, so they will either put him out, establish a guardian, or told us we could house him.

We care for Tom... he is family. So we have cleared and reorganized our office in our rented condo to take care of him. We are asking for funds for his hospital medical bills, ambulance transport, and for durable medical equipment to care for him at the house. Most important is the immediate need for an electric hospital bed and other home health equipment.

We know this is an after-holiday request, but we know Tom has touched so many lives in a positive way during his life that you may want to help him in his time of need.

Thank you,

Jerry and Tracey