POA is not recognized by Social Security Administration, as a stand alone document. A person needing to access the record or make direct deposit and address changes will need to apply to become the Representative Payee, to do that. Otherwise, the person whose SSN it is, must either contact SSA directly or provide a signed, notarized statement requesting that another person (listed in that statement), be allowed to get specific information or take specific actions on thst SSN holder’s behalf.
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Why does my does my 93yr old father hve swelling in his feet he doesnt take any kind of medication but ibu 400 mg so whn says he had a lil pain
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Educate yourself about you loved ones medical conditions and medications well before an emergency occurs. If possible accompany them to regular medical appointments. Not necessarily every time but be sure to meet each specialist.
There is plenty of information available on the Internet about diseases and often more importantly medications. Be sure to include side effects and interactions with other drugs.
As others have said visit often at different times of the day and question anything that concerns you.
It is not OK for a patient to be in the same stained gown for days or for them to smell of urine or faeces or hair unbrushed. At mealtimes check that your loved one is eating and if they simply don't like the food (understandable) ask if you can bring something in that they like. The nurses usually have access to pudding ice cream and milk, soda and hot drinks, It is easy enough to bring hot soup, a favorite sandwich or a desert.
As far as paying for care, this needs to be addressed before an event. For a Senior with Medicare a supplement will cover the major expenses.
When no provisions have been made care can not be refused but be sure patient is properly admitted not just for observation as this can incur extra costs. Talk to the billing office and Social worker to find out if help is available. They may not be able to get blood out of a stone but they can make life pretty unpleasant while they try.
After hospitalization rehab is often necessary so before discharge check out what is available in your area. If it is a nursing home that offers rehab find out if the patients are in seperate facilities. Nothing worse than having a demented room mate. As long as there is a bed free and they accept your insurance you do have a choice of facilities. Be sure to check the exercise area to see if they have sufficient equipment. One bike, a pair of parallel bars and a bowl of marbles is not sufficient however nice the staff are.

Educate yourself, have a plan and stay on top of things and be nice to the staff, they did not creat the conditions they have to work under.
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Good advise, unfortunately those of us in the U.S. are at the mercy of a savage medical system that puts financial stress on us.
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I live in Canada, and my mother was hospitalized 5 weeks ago, is in the isolation ward, and seems to be getting worse everyday. Unfortunately with universal health care, family has to be involved to ensure our parents are well cared for. I try to be at the hospital as much as possible because the nurses make many mistakes and sanitation is questionable... The nurses are kind of fed up of me wanting my mother to be cared for as best as possible, but they do their best... I am grateful for universal health care, but it's tough monitoring the care my mom is receiving.

My tip: Be with the patients as much as possible because I've noticed the patients with no visitors get less attention.
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Good article, things are a little different in Canada, of course. But there are issues to look out for if you are hospitalized.
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