Do I have options?

I am going through a similar situation- grandmother fell, was independent before that - 86 Broke shoulder. Now since in skilled rehab she don’t do anything but lay. I want to bring her home

My husband and son both had Covid and we’re hospitalized. My husband is 65 and and son is 29. My son had a longer hospitalization.

Both are still having problems. Son’s problems are not severe. My husband has severe fatigue. He used to walk 5+ miles a day. Now 2 miles and he comes home and collapses. He can lift about 1/3 the weight he used lift on free weights. Both complain of “brain fog”, no energy.
Husband never took naps. Now he crashes for a couple of hours. My husband has been evaluated for multiple illnesses. Both have lost 25 - 30 lbs.

I don’t think anyone knows all of the long term effects.

This is a hard one because of the effects of Covid on seniors, which we are still in the process of learning however since very little beats a failure but a try ... let's give it a shot. Start making a lot of noise to everyone who even might count. Administrator of the rehab facility, the state Dept of Health, the state Dept of Health, the NIH, AARP and Dad's insurer (Medicare per chance?) and specifically an attorney who specializes in Medicare. My thought here is that there maybe a case here for a temporary directive from Medicare to extend rehab opportunities for people over 65 who have been hospitalized with a Dx of Covid. This would no doubt be a boon to a number of seniors and their families. Medicare can back down but you have to be willing to push hard even while you play by their rules.

There is also the possibility of getting Dad into a trial research project with some of the medical groups who are studying the long term effects of Covid on senior citizens. Your Dad doesn't have Alzheimers but the Alzheimer's Group in San Antonio is doing a study and I'm sure they could offer you the names of other groups who are doing studies. I got this person's name from an article in a San Antonio news article: Dr. Sudha Seshadri, director of the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Give him a call and send him an email. He might be able to refer you to some great resources.
Good luck on this journey. Your Dad is fortunate to have such a caring child. Please keep us updated. I know a lot of people who will be interested.

You say "he's basically just going to lay in bed until........" As though he has a choice. Please consider that he may NOT have a choice. One can hope he does, but just today there was a segment on NPR about how Covid has changed the lives of many seniors who got it. They aren't coming fully back and the sad fact is that your Dad may not.
I would assume all rehab has been used up; if not, rehab is his best chance of getting back. However, he may not have the overall stamina, lungs, muscles, mentation, to do so, and all possible outcomes have to be considered. So sorry for Dad, and for you as well. I hope it gets better.

He should not be left in a bed all day. He can get some kind of PT. My Mom did. Talk to the doctor. He is the only one who can order it.

Restorative PT is fine. Just get him moving!

Thanks CountryMouse and everyone. Yes, I've been screaming to anyone who will listen. The assistant director of nursing even told me that she was upset that the on-call doctor had given me any hope because she felt as though we (the family/friends) were slow to accept their diagnosis (which, by the way...there is no diagnosis. No one knows what's actually going on. It's possible he had a stroke while on the vent although CAT scans showed nothing and he isn't showing any of the "usual" signs)

They say they offer "restorative" PT - so that the patient doesn't slide back, but nothing to help them increase any strength.

IF we weren't in lockdown, I would be there and able to see more of what's going on, but I don't even live in the same state at my dad (I'm not moving him. He has a VERY strong social group where he is) although we facetime multiple times daily.

My dad isn't a squeaky wheel by nature -and I'm afraid that if he ticks people off his care will suffer. I'm happy to be the screamer....

Have you talked to the Head of the rehab department? He should be getting PT to build strength even if he wont regain the ability to walk.

"Now that he's back to himself, the facility says they won't offer skilled PT because he's not going to be able to walk."

They won't *offer* it?
Several expletives deleted.
I call that: How To Create A Self-Fulfilling Prophesy 101.


Argue! And encourage Dad to make the request himself, too.