“I’m a runner,” says Ileana. “I used to go to the gym.” But it’s been a while since she’s hopped on a treadmill or gone for a jog around the block. A few years ago, Ileana heard her phone ringing from across the apartment. She didn’t think twice about dashing over to answer it — until she slipped. From the moment she hit the floor, she knew the pain was more than just a bruise or sprain. A trip to the hospital confirmed she had torn the meniscus in both knees. It would take surgery and extensive therapy for Ileana to be able to walk again.

“I learned my lesson,” she says. Now, at 79 years old, Ileana needs to take things much slower than she’d like. “A lot’s holding me back because of my legs,” she says. “Sometimes, it hurts if I walk too fast.” When she does get out, she needs to rely on a walker. “I could be walking straight one minute, then my balance goes off,” she explains.

Ileana was born in Puerto Rico, the youngest of three daughters. After her father died, her mother moved them to Brooklyn. Ileana has fond memories of her childhood and loved school. Following in her older sisters’ footsteps, she became a teacher, specializing in early childhood education. She feels that teaching was her true calling. “I wish I could go back,” Ileana says wistfully. “Children really inspire you.”

Shortly after retiring, Ileana moved into an apartment building dedicated to housing for older adults. She’s lived there for the past 27 years. It’s a small space, but Ileana keeps it tidy. Everything has its place. Her shelves are filled with books, her collection of elephant figurines and photos of her son and late husband.

Her son no longer lives in the city, but he comes to visit when he can. “I told him, you don’t have to come all the time,” she says. It’s a long drive and he doesn’t get much time off work. He wants his mom to come and live with him and his wife in Pennsylvania, but every time he offers, Ileana refuses. New York is her home. Besides, she says, “I like living alone.”

Ileana has a home-health aide who visits five days a week. Because of her knees and issues with balance, Ileana can’t step in out of the tub without help. She needs help to shower, as well as shop and cook. On the weekends, when her aide isn’t there, Ileana relies on Citymeals to ensure she has meals on hand. She started receiving home-delivered meals after her knee surgery. “It makes it easier for me because I can eat them right away or reheat them in my microwave,” she says.

I’m not the type who will sit in front of the TV for hours. That's not me.

As she’s gotten older, Ileana has started to focus more on her health and nutrition. Just a few years ago, she was pre-diabetic and her cholesterol was through the roof. At her doctor’s urging, she’s cut a lot of things out of her diet, like eggs. But she’s also added healthier foods, like oatmeal and mushrooms, which are high in iron. “The vegetables that I used to hate when I was a child, now I eat them,” she says. Ileana’s cholesterol and blood sugar levels are now within normal, healthy parameters. Her doctor is impressed.

Even when she can’t get out, Ileana prefers to stay active. “I’m not the type who will sit in front of the TV for hours,” she says. “That’s not me.” She has small free weights she uses while seated, following along with exercise videos online. She also likes to dance, even if it’s just alone in her living room, stereo blasting. “But I got to be careful because last time I did, I almost went flying that way,” she says, gesturing to the other side of the room.