After spending five years in a disreputable skilled nursing facility that controlled her finances and ignored her needs, Wanda Tiller got help from Disability Rights NC. Advocate Kirby Morrow helped Wanda access the holistic support system she’s entitled to — and find a path back to independent living.
Welcoming Wanda Home: How One North Carolinian Reclaimed Her Home and Life
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“The smell hits you first.” That’s what Kirby Morrow, advocate at Disability Rights NC, said as she describes what some unethical skilled nursing facilities — also called institutions — are like. She spoke of overcrowding, lack of qualified staff and overt neglect.
And that’s the type of institution 70-year-old Wanda Tiller spent more than five years in, when she could have been living on her own, with a few specialized supports.
“They call it rehab, but that’s not what it is,” Wanda said. “They took my money. They didn’t care about my life, my body, what I wanted. I saw people die in that place.”
“What happened to Wanda never should have happened,” Kirby said. “In cases like hers, it feels like a war on poverty and a war on those with mental illness. Ball after ball after ball was dropped.”
This all began when Wanda made one small, relatable mistake; she trusted the wrong person with her money. She invested in crypto currency, but it was all a scam. She lost tens of thousands of dollars. This started a spiral that took away her independence for years.
When she was sent to an institution, Wanda — a former nurse — didn’t just lose her home. The disreputable institution took over her finances. The staff neglected her physical and mental health. They blocked her path back to the community at every turn.
Wanda knew something had to change, and she needed to advocate for herself. That’s when Legal Aid of North Carolina connected her with Disability Rights NC. The Disability Rights NC team fights for the legal rights of North Carolinians with disabilities. The advocates and attorneys handle cases involving discrimination, abuse and other rights violations of North Carolinians, like Wanda, with a disability.
The Disability Rights NC team shared that some badly run institutions like the one where Wanda was living have huge financial incentives to keep people in these types of facilities, rather than support them on a journey to reenter the community.
“What happened to Wanda never should have happened,” Kirby said. “In cases like hers, it feels like a war on poverty and a war on those with mental illness. Ball after ball after ball was dropped.”
Kirby and Wanda got to work so Wanda could move back into the community, but the challenges continued.
Above, Wanda Tiller relaxes in the lobby of her new apartment home; at top, Wanda visits with Kirby Morrow, her advocate at Disability Rights NC.
“What happened to Wanda never should have happened,” Kirby said. “In cases like hers, it feels like a war on poverty and a war on those with mental illness. Ball after ball after ball was dropped.”
Kirby sent the institution the forms they needed to fill out months in advance so Wanda could rightfully take control of her bank accounts again. They wouldn’t complete them. The facility doctor refused to sign the paperwork she needed to get the right healthcare. The managed care organization’s nurse was supposed to fill out forms so Wanda could access Food Rx, a program that connects people with chronic conditions to healthy food. They didn’t.
After months of advocacy, the Disability Rights NC team was able to layer several programs, including the Transition to Community Living program and a Medicaid waiver program for disabled adults called CAP/DA, to get Wanda the holistic support she’s entitled to.
Now, Wanda is finally living in her own apartment — and she has access to her bank account again. Wanda and Kirby even decorated her new home together for Christmas!
Wanda is continuing to work closely with Kirby to access the support she needs to live comfortably in her own home.
When asked what she wants people to know about her story, Wanda shared that this is only the tip of the iceberg, as these institutions are taking advantage of the vulnerable and elderly nationwide. She wants to build awareness about corrupt facilities — and for attorneys and advocates to understand that a fight for disability rights is a worthwhile one.