How do I effectively work with my home health care agency when they dismiss my experience as nothing?

What are the problems you can't resolve?

working with the nurse when a Dr. orders a culture or urine sample and getting it done in a timely manner.

I'd blame the lab they're using. Mom's urine sample was picked up at my home by the lab, and the results were available next day by noon, if I remember correctly. If the problem is getting the NURSE out there to do it, I would complain to the doctor it's his order that isn't being carried out in a timely manner...if that is, in fact, the case. Mom's doctor would order and nurse would come out in a few days or sooner.

Do you have any home bound doctors in your area. When the time came we were able to find a great doctor through recommendations from the home care agency. I spoke to doctor over the phone and she ordered a chest X-ray for mom to be taken in the home, they came within 3 hours. This doctor was a wonderful advocate for her patients. She had no office practice and csme once a month, more if needed. Best thing we ever did. I had been thinking about this and moms primary, a geritician suggested the same thing. However, he had no referral for me!

The Dr. ordered a culture from a supra pubic area and the nurse from the agency told me she was unable to reach the Dr. all day to get the order. I found out by calling the Dr.'s office that they had no phone issues and I had no problem getting through to them in the morning then again at 4:10pm after the nurse called to tell me she could not get through to them. I have to call the Dr. when something is wrong because they don't think I know what I am talking about and just dismiss my concerns. I am so ready to get rid of them but honestly I have a great aide who works well with my husband and gives me 2 hrs. 3 times a week break. My problem is with the nursing part of it, they just will not do their job. Our Dr. is 30 miles from us and this company is local which is part of the problem and this company would prefer we change Dr.'s. That is not going to happen as long as I am able to care for him as we are comfortable with our Dr. and he trusts my judgement, it is this agency that does not.

Rosalee you definitely know your husband the best. You are right on the ball with any changes in his condition. Have you asked the agency to confirm what number they have in file for your doctor. Have you confirmed the number with the nurse who comes to your house. If you have done all this perhaps you could call the nursing supervisor and ask if suggestions how to have the doctor's orders dine in a more timely fashion. A call from your doctor to the supervisor might also help. However, there may be other patients in greater need then your husband and you may have to allow for extra time if not an emergency. If an emergency then a call from your doctor to the agency would be much better then it coming from you. My last suggestion would be: is it possible to hire a home care agency that your doctor works more closely with? Good luck, waiting for care for a home bound person, whether a visit or call stinks because we as caregiver are helpless because it is out of our control.

Thank you for your response it just assured me that my being diligent on this is what I need to continue to do. I did all that you suggested with no answers forthcoming from this supervisor. I gave them the correct phone numbers this morning, they may be over loaded with patients and they could have told me they could not get to him rather than tell me they couldn't reach the Dr. and I could have taken him to the hospital to get the culture. He is a diabetic as well and an infection is very dangerous for him to fight off. This agency knows this if they would just read their own reports. I should have followed my own instincts and had the Dr. to fax his orders straight to the hospital and we would have the results and know what we are dealing with, I won't make that mistake again. I live in a rural area where agencies are not plentiful for home health care, so I may just give up on that and go back to doing this on my own again, just don't think third time will be the charm..

I wouldn't write them off so quickly. There may come a time when you are unable to get your husband out due to weather, illness, etc. it will take you longer to get signed back up and back in their system. Have a talk with them and ask that they be realistic with their response times with you rather then the standard answer since you are aware that emergencies happen. When my mom was in the hosp and we were told she had a brain bleed. I did my best to get her signed up for hospuce and out of hosp in a day and a half dince we were expecting a snow storm. Each day the hospuce nurse was suppose to come. Got mom home on Wednesday, storm came that night. City was closed for 3 days. By Friday i told them just to get to me when they could. I had all the meds i needed, mom was ok, not much I could do for her except live her so I was ok. My husband was annoyed , but I decided not worth the stress. If an emergency happened, I would handle it. Nurse would come when snow was cleared. You know what is important and what can wait. The home nurses can be of help to you so just hang in there it may get better.