Trying2doright: Yes, I totally agree with your take on euphemisms. I sometimes am hypercritical. I see that I erred when I wrote to PCVS, leaving off the "ed" after the word need. I beat myself up over it because I demand perfection from myself, as a writer. My reasoning to spell out the definition of euphemisms was to indicate your misspelling of the word and since it's a tricky word to spell, we need to move past any error(s) made and get back to the real issue at hand, which is offering support to the caregivers of the world. Again, my apologies go out to you, trying2doright, because I am trying to do right myself. But I must admit I am an over analyzer and I need to try to adjust that! BIG HUGS AND SHOUT OUTS TO YOU, Trying2doright!! You're doing amazing work and I NEED TO FOLLOW YOUR LEAD!!
Llamalover, are we now going to engage in debating literary terms? Is that what this forum is about? Euphamism= Conveys the concept clearly and politely. Sometimes, they are abstractions e.g. before I go (before I die). Synonyms: polite term, indirect term, circumlocution, substitute, alternative, understatement, genteelism Euphemism is from Greek euphemismos, meaning "good speech," and it's a way that we paper over uncomfortable things with more pleasant-sounding words. Euphemism depends largely on the social context of the speakers and writers where they feel the need to replace certain words which may prove embarrassing for particular listeners or readers in a particular situation. Get your doctor onboard or talk to your doctors is a short way of saying, talk to him about arranging a bed, getting the necessary approval (he will need to provide a medical reason not just a prescription), help with making contacts and submitting requests. Same for hospice care, a physician referral is needed to substantiate the need. Now adays as we all know docs don't have time to just chat about things for the sake of chatting. Sometimes being overly specific and listing everything that would be discussed with a doctor can sound preachy and condescending as though the listener/questioner does not know what to ask once speaking with the doctor. Hence the shortened polite and respectful speak with the doctor or get your doc onboard. If the person requires more information, they ask. In the interim, their experience and knowledge have been respected.
Hi, Medicare, through hospice is paying for mom's fully electric bed. I think this is where it helps to go through an agency or hospice that has the contacts and clout. They also provided an air mattress that constantly stimulates (gently and imperceptably) along with the regular mattress. Good luck!
NOTE: hospital beds can either be rented or purchased, the latter may be better financially in the long run. Also consider getting the mattress that provides stimulation to avoid bedsores. My Mom developed them when I switched rental companies and the new one was out of them temporarily. Also be aware there are manual beds and full electric. The manual may be strenuous to hand crank.
Medicare will pay for the hospital bed - they are leased. Your doctor or hospice should be able to arrange it with a durable medical goods company - delivery is usually witin 24 hours. They will coordinate with discharge from the NH. As for bringing her home - kudos to you and hospice should be able to help! Actually, dealing with nursing homes is quite stressful (if you are involved and vigilant of care.) Bringing her home is doable and there are services and programs like Nursing Homes Without Walls and such (check with your office of the aging or an elder care lawyer about resources.) that can help with aides, supplies and in-home medical care. In NY we have the NHTD Waiver program which is a Medicaid program that sets up individuals who are nursing home eligible but wish to live in the community. You then select a Service Coordinator and an agency to work through and they help walk you through all the services and they help keep an eye on your senior loved one. BTW: I've been doing it for years now and I have not burned out!! I felt more burned out when mom was under the care of people who just treated her as though she was an insitutionalized being who didn't matter that much! Good luck!
Does your mom have medicaid? If she does , you will need to get her doctor to write an order and provice documentation to support the need of the hospital bed. If approved, they will deliver it to her.
Unfortunately, Medicare pays only for a semi-electric hospital bed, which means you crank it up and down whenever you need to cleanse the patient, change clothes, etc. After a few months of this 6-8 times a day, I broke down and paid for a fully-electric bed. Much, much easier! Write your representatives and senators about this stupid idea of a semi-electric bed!
Craigslist under health & beauty. My father received one from the VA, and only used it 6 weeks with a air mattress on top of the regular one. He died pretty much from a uncontrollable bed sore infection and morphine. I called the VA and they didn't want the bed back. We are probably going to donate it to the local Lions club which loans things out to people in need.
I am assuming your mother has Medicare. Go to medicare.gov and look under DME (durable medical equipment) and there is a list of providers. Then get a doctor's order and order one. The company can do all the paperwork, and they deliver, set-up. As someone else stated, if your mother cannot work, then you will need to lift her. Are you really prepared to do that?
When my mom came home from the hospital, her family doctor ordered the fully electric hospital bed and a Barton chair. Medicare and TriCare cover the monthly rental costs. Just so you'll know if she has no insurance, the rent on the hospital bed is like $200/month, and the Barton chair is $636 per month. The Barton chair lies flat like a stretcher & pulls her from the bed to the stretcher and then folds back into a chair, and vice versa. Very handy & avoids transfer difficulties.You can google barton chair and watch a video about it. Nursing homes use them to prevent injuries from lifting and shifting patients. Your mom's current facility should have a social worker or ombudsman who can facilitate access to info for you.
Lilmick - you have been given some very experienced insight by others. Pls step back and re-think IF moving mom out of a NH & back home is feasible.
Regarding getting MD orders, if mom is in a NH it could well be that the medical director of the NH is now her physician. (And not her old internist or family medicine doc when she was living independently.) They may not write orders for a bed / lift or the discharge orders to get out of the NH. If so, it places you / mom in the position of her leaving AMA - against medical advice. Going AMA can domino into other problems as some insurers will not pay for any care if the insured went AMA. You really dont want mom to be AMA in her health history. I'd suggest you clearly speak with the MD medical director at the NH & the DON (director of nursing, who in my experience is the goddess and power center at a NH) regarding your moms leaving before you move mom out. NH do a medicare required standard "care plan meeting" every 90 days or so with one done usually within the initial 30 days. You can ask the DON to schedule one ASAP to go over moms chart & care and get this done before you move her out so she is not AMA. Pls realize that going AMA has long term consequences.
Hospice does not stay at your house though...the day do day work will be yours. They will pay visits to check on her health. A Dr. will have to recommend her for Hospice though..as not all elders are candidate's for hospice.
Bless you for wanting to care for your mom, and best to you!
We were able to put my dad on Hospice and from then on Hospice took care of everything...medicine, hospital bed, walker, oxygen...everything. They were amazing! The only thing they couldn't do is care for him when he went to the Hospital. He had to be taken off Hospice to be admitted for his broken hip, and then we put him back on hospice when he got out of the hospital. Sadly though, he died that night. Hospice then, again, took over and came to the assisted living and stayed well past midnight until they could sign the paperwork with the funeral home and see him off. Then they arranged for the hospital bed and oxygen concentrator to be picked up. They followed up with a beautiful card signed by everyone at the Hospice office. The last two months of dad's life would have been so much more complicated without hospice.
I'm going to be blunt and I'm sorry if it sounds offensive but this is the reality of the situation and how serious it it: "Bedbound" means having to clean her feces and urine representing a regular schedule of diaper changing around the clock, feeding her, doing range of motion care, and turning her regularly. If you don't attend to her basic needs her skin will break down and you will get bedsore. These form rather quickly. You must also ensure the perineal (buttock and genital region) area remains clean to prevent urinary tract infections. Yes you will need a Hoyer lift, and transferring her from the bed to the wheelchair is going to be a daunting task. You need to be trained. Are you ready for all of this? This will be a CONSTANT grind and you will receive no help -- the cost of CNAs are enormous. Medicare isn't going to help unless she's on hospice.
Talk to your Mother's Dr. and medicare will get you a bed. In my experience my mother in law lived with us for almost 2 yrs. After one year I received a letter from the company that brought the hospital bed. It said since we had the bed for one year the bed was ours now. Also all repairs would be ours. Which was just fantastic.
Talk to your Mother's Dr. and medicare will get you a bed. In my experience my mother in law lived with us for almost 2 yrs. After one year I received a letter from the company that brought the hospital bed. It said since we had the bed for one year the bed was ours now. Also all repairs would be ours. Which was just fantastic.
Have to say this- a hoyer should be avoided until all other options have been considered. They can be difficult/dangerous for both the person and the caregiver (and slings are a real pain). Also- a person being "slinged" no longer is using whatever leg strength they have- which accelerates overall decline of muscle tone/strength. A person having one good arm/leg is plenty for many people to safely/independently bed transfer. Likewise a person with no leg strength (as long as they have reasonable upper body strength). If a person can "help themselves" they are increasing their muscle use which is a good thing vs.straining a caregiver. However the right assistive products may be required. I see lots of innovative items at national tradeshows- please let me know if I can help anyone with suggestions.
If she is in the hospital now talk to the Social worker there and they can arrange to have the hospital bed and equipment delivered. Do not bring her home until the equipment has been delivered. If she is in a nursing home she may be better off where she is. It is VERY difficult (and that is an understatement) to care for someone that is bed bound. If she qualifies for Hospice you will get all the supplies and equipment from hospice so that might be a good place to start. You will also get a CNA a few times a week to help with bathing and dressing. but that still leaves 5 days a week that you will have to do these things on your own, unless you have help. To care for someone 24/7 is a daunting task and it can become overwhelming.
Regarding getting MD orders, if mom is in a NH it could well be that the medical director of the NH is now her physician. (And not her old internist or family medicine doc when she was living independently.) They may not write orders for a bed / lift or the discharge orders to get out of the NH. If so, it places you / mom in the position of her leaving AMA - against medical advice. Going AMA can domino into other problems as some insurers will not pay for any care if the insured went AMA. You really dont want mom to be AMA in her health history. I'd suggest you clearly speak with the MD medical director at the NH & the DON (director of nursing, who in my experience is the goddess and power center at a NH) regarding your moms leaving before you move mom out.
NH do a medicare required standard "care plan meeting" every 90 days or so with one done usually within the initial 30 days. You can ask the DON to schedule one ASAP to go over moms chart & care and get this done before you move her out so she is not AMA. Pls realize that going AMA has long term consequences.
Bless you for wanting to care for your mom, and best to you!
They know exactly who to call and how Medicare pays.
Do not bring her home until the equipment has been delivered.
If she is in a nursing home she may be better off where she is. It is VERY difficult (and that is an understatement) to care for someone that is bed bound.
If she qualifies for Hospice you will get all the supplies and equipment from hospice so that might be a good place to start. You will also get a CNA a few times a week to help with bathing and dressing. but that still leaves 5 days a week that you will have to do these things on your own, unless you have help.
To care for someone 24/7 is a daunting task and it can become overwhelming.