Juanita's Long and Winding Road Home

by Jeff Jacomowitz

The story of Juanita Hill is all about courage and strength, it's about a woman who had so much to deal with during her midlife, but still persevered to achieve her goal and that is to be home. Today, she is 63, she has made many friends at Beth Abraham Center on Allerton Avenue in the Bronx, friendships with fellow residents and staff, many of those have helped guide her over for the past 18 years, never giving up on her goal which was to be on her own again, living in an apartment.

Only three weeks after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, then 46-year old Bronx resident Juanita Hill passed out on the street in the Soundview section of the Bronx, breaking her leg. She was taken to Jacobi Hospital for surgery and to receive rehabilitation, later to be transferred to Beth Abraham Center Light Health System to complete her rehab (the facility became Beth Abraham Center in 2017 after the Centers Health Care takeover). At the time Juanita had been married to her husband, Timothy Edward since 1993. She entered the marriage with her ten year-old son named Johnny Johnson. Sadly in 2009, Johnny, at only 25 years-old, died of a brain aneurysm. Also later on, Mr. Edward and Juanita separated, but he regularly visits her on the weekends.

Juanita was always active on the workforce, being a secretary for the New York City Board of Education, then an accountant at Equitable Life Insurance, then later she did accounting work at a local supermarket. Juanita was always trustworthy and great with numbers.

Her fall wasn't the only obstacle Juanita had to overcome. Eight years prior to her fall, she had a stroke and a heart attack, she's also a diabetic and has been a drug user. During the time she spent in the hospital and rehabilitation, she lost her apartment. Juanita had inquired time and time again to leadership at the Beth Abraham facility to go home, but she was far from ready according to social workers at the time.

"I cried and cried, saying please please, I have to go home," remembers Juanita. "But later on I learned that the therapists and social workers were right, I wouldn't be able make it on my own just yet."

Even with all of her obstacles in her overall health, Juanita loves to show off her artistic and singing abilities. Her talents have been recognized by the staff and fellow residents throughout Beth Abraham for two decades. Let's not forget internal politics. Because she speaks and listens to the concerns from various residents, Juanita was president of Beth Abraham's resident council on two different occasions.

One staff member that has been in Juanita's corner for all of these years is Robin Tucker-Brandon, a long-time social worker at the facility who, along with her team, was very instrumental with getting Juanita situated following her August 2019 discharge.

"We worked so hard to find her the best apartment possible," said Tucker-Brandon. "Juanita needed a place that would make sense to her and her abilities. It may have taken a long time, but in the end, the apartment is perfect for her. She's not far from Beth Abe so she can also come back and visit if she wishes."

Ms. Tucker-Brandon says that the city's housing authority department needs a major overhaul, which is a big reason why Juanita's apartment situation became a long drawn out process. After settling into her new apartment, Juanita felt incredibly relieved and overjoyed. You see it on her face when someone mentions about her new living situation and she smiles from ear to ear. Juanita gets around very well in her electric wheelchair. She sees friends, does her shopping and she drops by Beth Abraham to pay a visit to everyone she knows at the facility, both to former residents and the staff.