I'm wondering if any of you out there have advice on the best way to deal with the social services nightmare? My sister has salivary gland cancer, is single, has no insurance, lives alone in a rented apartment, has no car, and is falling through the cracks. The indigent care program she's on is picking up the tab for her surgery and radiation. Radiation consult next week and I'm trying to find some help for her as she goes through it - she works as an hourly wage worker at a gardening center (lots of heavy lifting). Everything seems to be for those totally disabled for six months or more. Will a doctor say that'll be her case before they see if it is? Are we supposed to just wait till she can't pay the rent and they are throwing her on the street? I've been told to bring her to social services and fill out paperwork but she works every day - trying to get as much as she can while she still feels okay. It's all very frustrating. I finally got a person who used to work for SS who gave me a referral for the man who runs Aid for needy and disabled. I've left him a message and am crossing my fingers that he'll call me back with some info. Have any of you dealt with any of this? I am feeling like I want to demand a refund on all the tax dollars I've poured into the government right now. Help seems completely inaccessible! I'm talking over 20 hours in the last week on the phone (on hold etc) and on the net trying to find out what's out there and what she might qualify for!!!