Milwaukee Health Department MAPP Project

Milwaukee Health Department MAPP Project

Community Themes and Strengths Assessment

Focus Group1 –BecherCourt

January 14, 2008

30 Resident Participants - (Most residents are elderly -60+)

What do you feel are the top concerns or issues for City of Milwaukee residents as a whole?

Safety issues. Every time I try to cross the street there are people speeding. People come down the street to fast. At Forest Home and 19, people are always running that light.
Pot holes and speed traps.
Snow time is bad around here. The metro or whoever needs to have these corners cleaned up. People keep falling over getting onto the bus.
Insurance, un-insured people. From what I understand, are they insuring younger children? A lot of elderly people can’t even get any insurance. They get sick, and then what do they do and where do they go? There has to be some place (for them to go), but where?
I am from this neighborhood. I grew up six blocks away. It is not what is used to be. A lot of people get robbed and, like the other person said, getting across the streets can be tough because people are not using sidewalks. They don’t even shovel their sidewalks. I talked to the people across the street about it, and they were cool with it and they didn’t even speak English. We need more American food around here too.
Gangs. They are just taking over children. They can get more money selling drugs than by going to school.

What do you feel are the top issues and concerns for your family and your community?

We better clean up some of these streets. During the winter they are all sitting out there at 8 o’clock drinking already. It is degrading.
I am concerned about these children on the buses. Those drivers need to check those seats and floors. Too many kids are getting left on the bus. The drivers are not doing their jobs. Mostly, it’s the school busses and daycare busses, but the city busses too (aren’t always doing their job).

How do these issues affectyour community?

People around here are barely mobile, but others are walking to school. They can’t run across the street like these young people can. I was coming across the street, and I had a walk signal and I got about half way across the street and the cars started coming through. There is a big red sign that says no right turn and they just went right around me. That was just one incidence. One time I was getting out of my car and people were just speeding past. I would see nobody coming, and all of a sudden people were there. This is just a broad concern. I would like to feel safe crossing the street. I was even in the cross-walk.
I have a concern; the street lights don’t give enough time to cross the street. That is one concern; they do not give enough time, and this happens all over Milwaukee.
On the corner of 20th street there is a 3-way walk. You have the walk sign going with you and the person who has the other go sign comes right through on you. One of these days,someone is going to get hurt. The two walk signs are showing, the car comes in and makes a turn right into the person. If you walk outside and you look on Forest Home on 20th street, you will see two walk signs and then a green light on the third light.
Another thing is that there is a church near there and they are trying to cross the street too. They have a crossing guard for the school.
These people, a lot of them are in lines of poverty and when you are in that line and you can’t manage your money and spend it on drugs and drinking, it’s bad and it is degrading.

Over the past three to five years, how have your community’s health needs and concerns changed?

I have been here a little over a year. It is a bad neighborhood. Right here (in this building) it’s pretty cool because we have security, but otherwise it’s a bad neighborhood.
It is worse as far as crime. It is not really safe out there. It is dangerous going out alone.
These women need to stop walking with big purses. And they should walk with a buddy. Do not take anything to draw the attention of a thief.
One thing is, I have had health insurance but they keep increasing the payments. It’s like I am almost afraid to go to the doctor. I have Medicare and a secondary insurance. The co-pay used to be $5, and now it is $25. They keep increasing the cost but the coverage is the same. Do I go to the grocery store or the doctor? It is a difficult decision.
I have acid reflux and they put me on a generic drug. They did not have proper instructions/directions on my medicine. And I suffered a heart attack.
(Who are they?)
HMO’s and pharmacies.
I like that nurses come and check our blood pressure.
The nurses do not want to come here anymore. They come from Alverno and everybody wants the nurses here but they don’t show up for the meetings. They just do not want to come in. We have all of the information they want, but nobody will come in and listen. They don’t want to know anything about your health. This last year it has changed. I don’t blame them. They do not have time to sit down and listen. They check the blood pressure and then they go out the door.
Some people take signs downs and then we do not know when stuff is going on.
Very few people barely even know how to get to the internet.
We need pamphlets about all of the above in English and Spanish.

How would you describe the quality of life in your community?

Good. Relatively quiet in the building and surrounding area. It can get very loud in the summer.
Personally, I am not concerned with the outer community. I am only concerned with around here. I do not care about the community. I am concerned with my immediate surroundings. This is a senior disability center. We do not care about a lot of things that have nothing to do with Becher Court. I have to live in the now. This is my world right now and that’s all I can get concerned with. When you get older, only certain things matter. Maybe if I were 15 years younger I would care.
Actually, one neighborhood isn’t any better than the other. Because in wealthy neighborhoods there are still drug problems and homicides. Whether you are poor, rich or whatever, there are still problems. Our reputation is not too bad.

What do you think are our community’s greatest strengths and/or assets?

It can’t be the police, because we are down 110 police, so where is our strength?We have to be our own strength.
We do keep the streets clean. We do pick up the garbage in this neighborhood.
We get stock boxes. But we need to get more volunteers of people who can speak and read English.
We have strength in each other. We help each other in tough times and show love to each other. I would like to help each month and give back.

How would you define a healthy person? (What does it mean to you to be a healthy person?)

Weight and health conditions, like a building all up to code. I feel that I am healthy.
A person that exercises regularly and eats properly.
There is not a healthy person around here. Everyone has something wrong with something.
A person that eats well, sleeps well, exercises and keeps their weight.

Do you feel that you have a role or the ability to become involved in some of the solutions to these problems? How?

I get along with everybody. I go with the flow. I try to be good and do things for people and that’s about it. And I try to be helpful.

What else do you think would be important for us to know related to the health of our community that we haven’t talked about?

Lower the cost of health insurance. Co-payments went from $10 to $25. I went from $20 to $50 for doctors’ visits. That’s United Health Care.
I think it would help a lot if we would learn to respect each other worldwide. People have to be taught that.
None of the Spanish people participate with anything we do. We try to get them to get involved and they will not do it. They have their own meetings. The other groups are religious groups; regardless of how hard you try they will walk out because they are not interested.

Milwaukee Health Department MAPP Project

Community Themes and Strengths Assessment

Focus Group 2 – Arlington Court

January 22, 2008

43 Resident Participants – (Most residents are elderly -60+)

What concerns you? What worries you?What do you feel are the top concerns or issues for City of Milwaukee residents as a whole?

The Library is big issue. The library is rarely open so residents can’t get into it. The residents are very angry about this. They believe that the library is part of the cost of their rent. They want it open 24 hours so they can use it whenever they like – day or evening.
It was explained that the reason the library is locked is because there is a computer and a TV in the space and they don’t want it to be stolen. Residents don’t feel this is an issue because there is a TV in the community room and that is not locked. The residents would prefer that the TV be taken out of the library so it can be open more.
We would like a social Worker for advocacy on elderly issues.
Crime – as you get older you can’t defend yourself as well.
Access to transportation – snowy streets.

What do you feel are the top issues and concerns for your family and your community?

Cost for drugs. There have been positive changes in lowering costs.
We are concerned about insurance. We are often given generic medications that are not the right formulas. Pharmacies sometimes just do this without asking. Doctors are often surprised about these changes.
Insurance. There have been so many changes. Insurance companies allow medications without a doctor’s approval. It is so confusing and we don’t know which is best for us. We need an advocate or to simplify the system.
There are medications we need that we can’t afford. My doctor subscribed inhalers that my insurance won’t cover. These cost $400 per month.

Over the past three to five years, how have your community’s health needs and concerns changed?

There are walk-in well clinics in the Walgreens stores. This really helps. It is right in our neighborhood and we can walk to it.

Adding exercise equipment in our building helps elderly to stay fit in a simple way.

How would you describe the quality of life in your community?

It depends on how you look at it. If you think of things in a positive way, we have much to be grateful about.
We have many community shopping and retail choices.
We have seating around the neighborhood.
We have a beautiful lakefront and amenities in the city.
We are lucky that we have such a nice neighborhood, and for a high rise building, we have a very nice facility.
Volunteering is a part of the elderly person’s life, but we get stuck when the sidewalks aren’t shoveled and it inhibits transportation. We get stuck.

What do you think are our community’s greatest strengths and/or assets?

Our people
Our diversity in our communities
Good transportation system
People in this community extend a hand to help each other
We are empathetic with each other and help others when they are down

Our community is well-informed; we have many news and information sources available to us and many newspapers in the building
Our close access to the lake

How would you define a healthy person? (What does it mean to you to be a healthy person?)

An open mind and a positive attitude toward life
Showing kindness
Being generous
Giving love
Trust
Having a companion
Taking care of your body
Following your diet and taking medications as prescribed with your doctor
Eat right, exercise and don’t go to the doctor

Do you feel that you have a role or the ability to become involved in some of the solutions to these problems? How?

We have a good volunteer system here in our building, but volunteering is not for everyone. Some of us are introverted and some extroverted so it works for some and not for others.

What else do you think would be important for us to know related to the health of our community that we haven’t talked about?

Sex is great. People our age are afraid to talk about it, but it’s not taboo. We should be talking about sexual health in the elderly. Just because we’re over 50 years old doesn’t mean we can’t have sex. It’s a healthy thing.
Handicap access; we need elevators to assist the elderly.
The vans that help people get around are great and help the elderly.
The speed in which the I-Team comes when we call. That helps.
The various newsletters we get or the newspapers help to keep us informed.

Milwaukee Health Department MAPP Project

Community Themes and Strengths Assessment

Focus Group 3 – Riverwest Neighborhood Association

February 12, 2008

6 Participants (very poor weather/snow conditions on night of focus group)

What do you feel are the top concerns or issues for City of Milwaukee residents as a whole?

Teen Pregnancy and access to healthcare
Have a hard time getting people in through the GAMP system
Elderly – no insurance, transportation issues
Dental care – hard for poor to get access to dental healthcare. Also, people are traveling on a bus to get to a dentist that deals with people with no insurance.
Lack of dental care and specialty services is huge. We are seeing that young doctors, dentists and other health professionals start in the city but when they get bigger, they move to the suburbs. Dermatology, psychology, and other specialists are extremely hard to get to.
Also, food insecurity. The closing of all the grocery stores is compounding residents’ access to good food. And, the good stores are also moving out.
The core area of the city has literally no grocery stores. Disadvantaged people can’t get to good quality foods.
Safety is also an issue. People take advantage of the elderly. What are we doing to protect our elderly citizens?
We keep hearing about more police but we are not seeing them or feeling safer.
Coverage for undocumented citizens is big. GAMP now requires these people to have proof of citizenship or proper documentation.
Community mental health – People are busy and don’t talk to each other these days. They don’t have dinner together or take time to talk to each other. The mental health issues and stress are huge, but they are not diagnosed or recognized to a great extent within the general population.
Environmental health issues. There are 4 brown fields in this community. There are many times where things happen in town and hazmat teams need to come in. There are many contamination issues and the quality of air is getting worse. These need to be addressed also.

What do you feel are the top issues and concerns for your family and your community?

Gun violence is big. Everyone in this neighborhood has been affected by gun violence.
Chlamydia is much bigger.
The community itself if getting better, beauty-wise and amenity-wise.
The food pantry needs work.

How would you describe the quality of life in your community?

Different areas have different affects
Things have gotten worse for some and better for others. It depends on where in the neighborhood you areDifferent areas have different affects

What do you think are our community’s greatest strengths and/or assets?

The diversity is great. It is a strength for some and not for others in this neighborhood.
There is a lot of pride around here. People walk in the neighborhood at night and care about the neighborhood.
We enjoy things being accessible with ample buses and close to many amenities.

How would you define a healthy person? (What does it mean to you to be a healthy person?)

Body, soul and mind
Feeling joy
Not just a state wellness but involves the whole person – holistically
If I can just get dinner on the table I feel good

Do you feel that you have a role or the ability to become involved in some of the solutions to these problems? How?

Most definably. As a health professional we can be involved in clinics and help the community understand the options and where services are.
I moved into the community recently so I don’t think I can. The issues are so big. How do you affect the insurance issue? All the problems seem so big. Even if you join a group, how do you really get your hands around the issues?
If people like us don’t do something the issues won’t go away.

What else do you think would be important for us to know related to the health of our community that we haven’t talked about?

The lack of coordination on the many issues in our city. Who is handling violence – in our schools, in the community? We need to identify who is doing what and work together.
At my church I discovered a service that gets eyeglasses for underserved kids. I had no idea this even existed.
We need to understand what is happening in the city, who is doing what and then do a better job at coordinating these initiatives
Partner with the colleges and get students involved earlier so we can volunteer earlier.

Milwaukee Health Department MAPP Project