Gms575 You do not know for sure that PT will fail until you try. If she is accepted as a rehab inpatient that will give you a rest and also time to plan for her future. Don't give up on your mother unless she doesn't want to move from the bed. PT can begin as a series of very gentle exercises. Even if the desired outcome is not what you hoped for, your mother may enjoy the individual attention. No one can see the future. As others have advised there is a high possibility that it is time for a LTC nursing home. Also, you do need to take care of your own health.
Personally, I believe in (diplomatic)advocating until there are no avenues left. I have practiced this in all aspects of my life and careers. Many times, I have seen it work. I will give you a medical example. My 87-year-old elderly sick mother with COPD was diagnosed with "failure to thrive" by a cardiologist and was told she belonged in LTC. This was after an unsuccessful attempt to implant a pacemaker resulting in a broken lead. I transferred Mom to a different hospital and the next very prestigious electrophysiologist also decided she belonged in LTC. So, I transferred her again, this time to the emergency room at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. The third Cardiologist had a different opinion. Mom was operated on the next morning. The broken pacemaker lead was replaced by the third electrophysiologist and her heart was then pacing normally. She lived another 7 years in my home. At the end she was very frail, with a little bit of short-term memory loss, but she could walk slowly with a cane/walker. Most important she enjoyed life. I am so grateful we had those years with her. Sadly, she died at age 93 with the last two month in a nursing home. I wish you and your mom the best.
My mother 90,was hospitalized with covid19 and became bedridden. It took its toll on her body and never walked again. She was in memory care for months before and in the hospice program which is designed to make her comfortable. I hoped for the same thing but the hospital never suggested rehab, she just didn't have it in her. I'm hoping that you find her the care she needs.
If your mum were strong enough to walk again, I would have thought that it would have been offered at the time of discharge. I really think that the possibility of walking again are now quite slim.
Also, I think that there's a very real danger that if rehab are able to get your mum walking again, that she would actually be more unsafe than staying in bed, due to frailty and likelihood of falls.
It seems that your main problem is that you are no longer able to look after your mum. However much you or she may want to keep your mum at home, I think that you may have to consider her going into a nursing home, so that you can maintain your own level of health and mobility.
Whatever decision you make, I wish you and your mother strength and peace.
If she walks again , when she goes home her walking most likely will decline again without PT . You are facing the inevitable which is to place your mother in a skilled facility .
Gms575: Perhaps the real issue at hand isn't rehabilitation, but getting your mother placed in a managed care facility since you unfortunately are struggling with your own health. You state in your profile "I am no longer able to take care of her."
Yes you can. My mom got pneumonia at 90. Really declined after she had to have surgery to remove fluid. Went to short term rehabilitation and received physical and occupational therapy. You have to stay on the staff because someone in that shape gets overlooked and treated like an invalid unless your present.
I am caring for my mother Vivian, living in my home with age-related decline, anxiety, cancer, depression, hearing loss, incontinence, mobility problems, and urinary tract infection.
About Me 70 year old female Caring for 90+ female parent who until recently was able to walk assisted by a walker and able to perform daily hygiene tasks I am no longer able to care for her. I have several health conditions along with back issues.
My mother was 92 when she was hospitalized for pneumonia. Rehab did not get her walking again, just helped her learn how to wheel herself around in a wheelchair. She moved from regular AL into Memory Care Assisted Living after rehab bc her dementia had worsened significantly too.
Your issue isn't rehab.....its getting mom placed in a Skilled Nursing facility due to you no longer being able to care for her, understandably. Were you wanting to get her into a SNF for rehab and to then segue into their long term care section?
Speak with an elder care attorney about the Medicaid process in your state and how to go about getting mom placed in the quickest and easiest fashion.
Has she had any home health therapy since April 18th? That would be the place to begin as the best chance of being admitted for inpatient services would involve a recommendation from a therapist. In all honesty however, your mother likely would not qualify for direct admission at this point.
Your doctor will only order this if there is some chance that PT can get your mother out of bed and walking again. If, at 93 there is sufficient injury to the lungs, and now muscles and bone have deteriorated, there is almost no chance that your mother will be able to walk. This has been assessed already by hospital PT/OT personnel.
I believe that a doctor will at this point have already attempted to discuss Hospice care with you. I believe that your mother is now facing a need for comfort care and end of life care. I am so very sorry. Please ask your doctor for open discussion and honest discussion with you regarding placement and Hospice for your mom. The offer should be made to her, and if she is no longer able to act on her behalf you will have to make the best decision for her for a peaceful end to a long life. You will do what you believe best for her, and right for her, recognizing that for you the loss is certain, inevitable, and full of grief. Keep your mom as pain free as you are able.
PT has to be considered medically beneficial by her doctor. No one can just decide that their elder needs PT. I agree you should call her doctor to request it. But if your Mom isn't able to do it, or won't cooperate with it, or doesn't progress, PT will stop being ordered. You may need to find and privately hire a PT but not sure that's a thing they do without it being covered by insurance and ordered by a doctor.
If she qualifies then go for it. Medicare gives payment for a limited time. Do realize that"some" walking ability may not get her home again.This gives you time to make decisions for LTC and ways to pay for it. Tell the social worker about unsafe discharge to start the process of Medicaid is needed. You will have the burden of cleaning out her living space or hiring someone. If you feel you cannot do this for your own health, then mention that you are willing to relinquish all responsibilities so that probate will take over.
The odds of your mother learning to walk again is slim to none. My late husband after almost dying from aspiration pneumonia and being in the hospital for over 2 weeks, came home completely bedridden, and he too was walking with his hemi-walker though very slowly before this all happened. He however came home under hospice care and I was able to care for him(with an aide coming every morning that I hired)until he died 22 months later. It sounds like you are in no condition to care for your mother with your own health issues, so perhaps it's time to look into having her placed in a skilled nursing facility, and by all means get hospice on board as well, as you will have extra sets of eyes on your mother and they will report anything amiss. Wishing you and your mother well.
If you can no longer care for her walking might be the least of your problems. Rehab is probably not going to accomplish much. If she has any dementia (you do not indicate this in your profile) she probably will not be able to participate in rehab. You could ask the doctor to prescribe In Home PT and see if that helps but YOU are also going to have to work with her on the PT. If you can not do that safely the In Home PT might not do much. At this point she may need Skilled Nursing facility.
Call her doctor about ordering in home physical therapy. My dad did multiple rounds of PT, both in rehab inpatient and in his home with the PT coming to him. Each time he was left with a lower level of function than he’d had a few months before. The leg weakness and struggling walk are endlessly frustrating but a very persistent issue for many of the very old. His doctor finally recommended hospice after a failed inpatient rehab where he’d made no progress. Dad chose it himself and was very at peace about his decision. I hope your mother can recover, but also please be aware that skills may not return despite therapy. Be prepared to add hospice help if this proves to be true. I wish you both peace
Ideally your mom should have gone to rehab when she was released from the hospital. There is a number of days she would still be eligible after discharge if she had met the requirements.
Call her primary and see what can be done. If it is too late to go to rehab as inpatient, perhaps you could get therapy for her in your home.
You could also look at her discharge paperwork and see if there is a contact number for a hospital discharge planner who could help you.
You do not know for sure that PT will fail until you try. If she is accepted as a rehab inpatient that will give you a rest and also time to plan for her future. Don't give up on your mother unless she doesn't want to move from the bed.
PT can begin as a series of very gentle exercises. Even if the desired outcome is not what you hoped for, your mother may enjoy the individual attention.
No one can see the future. As others have advised there is a high possibility that it is time for a LTC nursing home. Also, you do need to take care of your own health.
Personally, I believe in (diplomatic)advocating until there are no avenues left. I have practiced this in all aspects of my life and careers. Many times, I have seen it work.
I will give you a medical example.
My 87-year-old elderly sick mother with COPD was diagnosed with "failure to thrive" by a cardiologist and was told she belonged in LTC. This was after an unsuccessful attempt to implant a pacemaker resulting in a broken lead.
I transferred Mom to a different hospital and the next very prestigious electrophysiologist also decided she belonged in LTC.
So, I transferred her again, this time to the emergency room at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. The third Cardiologist had a different opinion. Mom was operated on the next morning. The broken pacemaker lead was replaced by the third electrophysiologist and her heart was then pacing normally. She lived another 7 years in my home. At the end she was very frail, with a little bit of short-term memory loss, but she could walk slowly with a cane/walker. Most important she enjoyed life. I am so grateful we had those years with her. Sadly, she died at age 93 with the last two month in a nursing home.
I wish you and your mom the best.
I really think that the possibility of walking again are now quite slim.
Also, I think that there's a very real danger that if rehab are able to get your mum walking again, that she would actually be more unsafe than staying in bed, due to frailty and likelihood of falls.
It seems that your main problem is that you are no longer able to look after your mum. However much you or she may want to keep your mum at home, I think that you may have to consider her going into a nursing home, so that you can maintain your own level of health and mobility.
Whatever decision you make, I wish you and your mother strength and peace.
You are facing the inevitable which is to place your mother in a skilled facility .
I am caring for my mother Vivian, living in my home with age-related decline, anxiety, cancer, depression, hearing loss, incontinence, mobility problems, and urinary tract infection.
About Me
70 year old female
Caring for 90+ female parent who until recently was able to walk assisted by a walker and able to perform daily hygiene tasks
I am no longer able to care for her. I have several health conditions along with back issues.
My mother was 92 when she was hospitalized for pneumonia. Rehab did not get her walking again, just helped her learn how to wheel herself around in a wheelchair. She moved from regular AL into Memory Care Assisted Living after rehab bc her dementia had worsened significantly too.
Your issue isn't rehab.....its getting mom placed in a Skilled Nursing facility due to you no longer being able to care for her, understandably. Were you wanting to get her into a SNF for rehab and to then segue into their long term care section?
Speak with an elder care attorney about the Medicaid process in your state and how to go about getting mom placed in the quickest and easiest fashion.
Best of luck to you.
I believe that a doctor will at this point have already attempted to discuss Hospice care with you. I believe that your mother is now facing a need for comfort care and end of life care. I am so very sorry. Please ask your doctor for open discussion and honest discussion with you regarding placement and Hospice for your mom. The offer should be made to her, and if she is no longer able to act on her behalf you will have to make the best decision for her for a peaceful end to a long life. You will do what you believe best for her, and right for her, recognizing that for you the loss is certain, inevitable, and full of grief. Keep your mom as pain free as you are able.
He however came home under hospice care and I was able to care for him(with an aide coming every morning that I hired)until he died 22 months later.
It sounds like you are in no condition to care for your mother with your own health issues, so perhaps it's time to look into having her placed in a skilled nursing facility, and by all means get hospice on board as well, as you will have extra sets of eyes on your mother and they will report anything amiss.
Wishing you and your mother well.
Rehab is probably not going to accomplish much.
If she has any dementia (you do not indicate this in your profile) she probably will not be able to participate in rehab.
You could ask the doctor to prescribe In Home PT and see if that helps but YOU are also going to have to work with her on the PT. If you can not do that safely the In Home PT might not do much.
At this point she may need Skilled Nursing facility.
Call her primary and see what can be done. If it is too late to go to rehab as inpatient, perhaps you could get therapy for her in your home.
You could also look at her discharge paperwork and see if there is a contact number for a hospital discharge planner who could help you.