Follow
Share
Read More
This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing
hello
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Pamstigma-we also included that in our DPOA. Katiekat2009-he was officially diagnosed at his last mini-stroke last August while in the hospital. That's part of the struggle with a patient that refuses care. I believe it started 10yrs ago but the doctors see records stating only 6months ago. I don't believe he went from stage 4 symptoms to stage 6/7 in only 6 months.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Babalou-he has been on several meds for years for the mental disorders. But he refuses to go to therapy to learn coping skills. Vstephans-thanks for your insight. It sounds like that is what happened with the doctor. 10yrs ago, he had a stroke, then corodidendorectomy, a heart attack woke in that hospital, was taken to another hospital for heart surgery with all arteries closed 97-100%. He didn't want his kids to know at all (they were estranged)and the only reason they did is because i convinced him to let me call them at the second hospital before surgery. He actually told me that i would regret it. And we included gardianship/conservatorship in our DPOA (health care) when we did them.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Her power of attorney will go into effect if he is diagnosed with dementia. She will then have access to his records.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

waweeta, unless your husband has signed a HIPAA release form the MD cannot talk to you or email you. SO make an appointment for about 1PM, take hubby out to lunch that day at 11:30 without telling him he will be seeing the doctor. Just go there after lunch.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

I still have some doctor colleagues who simply do not ever respond to patient e-mails. There are a few tricky hoops to jump through with HIPAA regs and precautions about never using e-mail for emergencies, but many are fearful of negotiating them, and some delegate all patient phone calls to nurses, and some nurses don't keep up with them or just leave the ones they think are uncomfortable too; a few insist that all communication occurs face to face during office visits as billable time. Maybe with the new patient portal systems things will be a little better.

That story about the kids buying into his wishful notions your engineering critical surgeries for him as if it was a Munchausen's by proxy is just wild. I don't think they do those without objective evidence on angiograms, but I guess the were not very sophisticated. You might want to send them some information on vascular dementia and how it differs from Alzheimer's so they have a clue that its possible for him not to be OK just because he still knows their names and phones them. But, depending on what you learn from the doctor, who had best do a decent mini-mental status and neuro/balance exam at the minimum, you may even want to look at a guardianship to keep his care safe from him going off the deep end into denial again and changing or being talked into changing the POA.

You sound both caring and wise enough, and tough enough to do what needs done!
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

Oh my, what a pickle! Hubs clearly needs some meds to treat the depression/anxiety symptoms. I'm glad the doctor has seen your message; perhaps someone can get him to see a geriatric psychiatrist. Might he be convinced if he thought it was for YOUR mental health?
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Vegaslady: thank you for your advice. I found the courage after reading your reply and called the docs office. I made my way to the office manager and she told me that she and the doc was aware of my letter but didn't know why i never got a call back. Regardless, she said they would work with me if could just get him there. So i made an apt for Friday and will tell him about it last minute to try and avoid an anxiety attack and his refusal to go.

Runragged: thank you for help and kind supportive words. Also gave me strength. I asked if his doc did home visits but they said no and were unaware of any that did. And your advice concerning his kids and documentation of my efforts makes smart sense to me. Thanks again.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

Around where we live, there are a growing number of doctors as well as other medical service providers who come to the home and are paid by Medicare and whatever supplemental you might have. This might be an alternative to getting him into an office. It means that your husband does not have to leave the familiar comforts of home AND may mean that he will be off his polish. Watching him in his own environment rather than a strange place may be the better option.

A second alternative is to try a different doctor who will work with you.

Meanwhile, keep documentation of what you bought, which doctors you called, how you attempted to communicate with the results, etc. With those step-kids looking for ways to get at you and being fed false and inflamatory information from your husband, you may need to prove your case if those step-kids get the government involved in a bad way.

You have a very difficult situation, and our heart goes out to you.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

Just go ahead with the appointment, even if you don't get an advance ok from the doctor. Get him there and fallout will happen one way or another. Good luck.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter