Mrs. Steele goes to a Baptist church nearby, across the street. She has been going to the same church for 30 some years, since she first arrived in Cleveland. She has many friends in the church; she sees them often. She goes to church on Sundays, and occasionally during the week.

She also participates in programs and activities at her assisted living facility. She likes to go to all the meetings: they talk about their lives and do activities. Sometimes, she also participates in organized trips to JCPenney, the supermarket, and other places.

Mrs. Steele likes to watch television and movies. Every once in a while, when she can find someone, she tries to go to the movie theater. She also likes to read all kinds of books and subscribes to several magazines. She does not knit but would like to learn.

She used to travel to Alabama and Chicago three times a year, but she has not done so since 2002. She does not travel by herself anymore because she has trouble walking. She also reports that back and hip pain limit her mobility, and her asthma limits her endurance.

Nonetheless, she manages her life fairly independently. She has no difficulty with personal care such as dressing or bathing. She cooks, cleans and does her laundry. She has a helper who comes once a week to assist with grocery shopping. She feels she is doing fine, and is accustomed to doing things for herself. She does indicate that sometimes she struggles a bit, but overall, she feels fairly independent in her apartment.

On a day to day basis, the first thing Mrs. Steele does is pray. She then makes her bed, showers, fixes her breakfast and takes her medication. She gets up early, sometimes at 5 a.m. Once she is dressed, she is ready to go. Sometimes a friend might call or come over. Sometimes, she will eat lunch with somebody. She attends programs and activities. On Sundays she goes to church. None of her days are the same; her daily activities depend on what is going on.

She does exercise. She also helps a friend with exercises. This is particularly enjoyable because her friend is good company and “looks after” her. She has been to physical therapy and uses papers with instructions from the doctors and therapists to structure her exercise. She reports that the exercises help her considerably.

She explained that she has to get up and out of bed slowly. She sits up first and swings her legs out of bed. She also has difficulty rising from a chair, and has to be careful not to jump up too quickly. Balancing and walking with and without her cane can also be challenging.

Transportation can be a problem for Mrs. Steele. She does not drive. While her assisted living facility has transportation to and from the doctor's office, she has to find someone else to take her to the supermarket and to the bank. Sometimes, she will ask someone at the assisted living facility or her family. However, all of her family work except her older sister who does not drive.