My mother requires two types of insulin injections that she can't do herself. Can I give her the insulin or is it a skilled need done only by nurses?

Is she totally incapacitated by the stoke? Can she walk, go to the restroom or use a bedside toilet? Contact the social worker at Kaiser and tell her what the concerns are and she should be able to help you.

Her body is contorted in such a way that she cannot walk, go to the restroom or use a bedside toilet, she reqires insuline injections 3 times a day. She is 140 lbs of dean weight. She cant even sit up stright.

I've been giving my mother her insulin shots for years. Follow the doctors orders! Sometimes you have to adjust the amount depending on her sugar which is easy enough also! If you needed to be a skilled nurse then they wouldn't allow diabetics to do it themselves =) If you feel uneasy, then before you go home, ask a nurse to show you! Also, get to know your moms blood tester kit. It's going to be your new best friend haha.

Please talk to the social worker at Kaiser. This can be an overwhelming situation for anyone. The social worker should be able to give you options for you and your mother that are best for you both. Have you talked with anyone about the care that she will need upon discharge?

I dont think it is we do not want to take care of our parents. Depending on what obligations you have work, kids,etc it is hard to do. Is there another family member willing to help? Long term care? Hospice house? Ask the social worker about all of these options. My dad was placed in a Hospice house prior to his passing and it was the best thing myself and my siblings could have done for him. He was very well cared for. Kept clean, dry until his passing. My sister and I tried to take care of him and my mother both and after 3 days we both were exhausted plus we both had to return to work. I have 3 kids to get back to also. The social worker from hospice helped provide all of the options and helped me not to feel "guilty" for not being able to take care of them.

Where did I read recently that if a plan such as Kaiser discharges the patient from HOSPITAL stay into a nursing home, they are responsible for some/all of the costs. If they discharge her from their ER to a nursing home, they are not going to cover any of it. This "going home" NOW may be a ploy so they can get out of paying associated nursing home costs should she need to be placed in one in the near future.

Could be she can be discharged into a "convalescent center" with aim to physical therapy to recover some motion lost during the stroke. People CAN recover functioning after a stroke. Perhaps she can recover enough to be less of a burden. When Mom came home from the hospital, she was weak from not walking for four or five days and was Dead Weight for a week. It almost crushed me. When she was able to assist in standing even somewhat, and was able to scootch herself in the chair, it made a big difference.

Good luck, and let us know the results. And PLEASE clarify the Kaiser policy on discharging to a nursing home from the ER or hospital stay.

Don't trust my memory on this. I don't even know where I read it, perhaps on one of these forums.

If you are in doubt about your Mom's insulin injections, I would be in contact with a senior service agency in you area, or your Mom's physician. Like all of us in the online forum, we want to do what is best for our parents. Good luck to you, and do let us know the outcome of the situaion. IN MY OPINION: Health insurance carriers are running a business- They are looking to collect on your premiums, but not necessarily to be there for you at your time of need, sad to say.

Insulin injections for a Type 2 diabetic are not too difficult if you understand that it is primarily carbohydrate in the food that raises blood glucose level. If your mother eats a consistent amount of carbohydrate each day her results should be fairly predictable once the doses are defined. The procedure is the same for Type 1 diabetes, but dosing and timing is more critical. Be prepared to measure blood glucose levels with a meter and finger-prick tester.

Derek

First get with elderr care in your local neighborhood. then get with place is she at they my have a nurse that comes in daily like were my mom was at. There is also hospice. A social workerr can also help you. I trief for four days with the two shots daily it was hard but my mom had other medicl condtions with Alzheimers/Dementia. One night I had to call the Fire resure emergency I had 20 fireman in my house in seconds. My uncle was a retired fire capt. and I explained mom had just came from New york and was fighting and refuse the mediciane and her eyes rolled back. It tokk four firemen to hold her down, while I gave her the shot's. thay did explain that it was going to be to much work for me to do on my own. Yes she even fought with the firemen. I was at the end of the neddle and got stuck. Of course I had to go for test she she was in a New York nursing home that was not the greatest. You do get stronger but sometimes you need to get help. hang in. patrica61

A caregiver is a lot of work it takes a lot of love no matter what is said to us. Sometimes we can not do everything we need outside help. Call elder care and even hospice. Even if a elderly person does not weigh much it is dead weight you are trying to work with. my mom had many health conditions, plus Alzheimers/Dementia I could not do it my self. I had even had a room set up for a nurse. But it was to much. I did look at many places before I brought her from New York to Florida . A total of ten. I refused nursing homes I saw what goes on. My mom was in three up north. She was with me for two years in a beautiful assistingliving of which had a nurse and doctor on call. I was there all the time until the end this past Oct 2009. She went in my arms with both the police and fire dept there to support me. patrica61