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Do I have the right to say that - can I safely ask who made the report? I don't want to make things worse by being difficult (refusing to talk). And I'll be going to her doctors office in person tomorrow -- what I'm potentially being accused of, it's not something I want to discuss with any of the office staff (other than the physician).
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You just call the person on the card - and you tell him/her that you will not talk until you are told who is the person that filed the complaint with APS. It is your right to know who filed the complaint. Don't let this APS person push you around. Their job is to only investigate complaints of safety, neglect, abuse. It's not a social call. It's not a routine follow-up from the hospital. This APS visit is not the norm. It's a serious issue not to be taken lightly. Someone (from the hospital, a neighbor, angry family member, whomever...) is very concerned about your grandmother's well being in her home; if her health is declining, albeit slowly, and you can't be there 24x7, then APS will push for her to be put in a facility - for her safety. They're not educating you on C.Diff - they want to see if her environment is either responsible or contributed to its development; most importantly, they want to evaluate the home environment, overall, to determine if it's appropriate for her level of care because whoever contacted APS thinks there's a problem with the home environment. You need to keep her doctor aware of what's going with the APS.
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Gran was pretty well dressed ~ I do make sure that she's clean as well as hair being washed. All things considering, she looked ok. We're not exactly rich - but not dirt poor either.

In regard to the first ER physician...yes, I will be writing a letter to the hospital, etc. My grandmother's family doctor did call me on Monday morning (while she was still admitted) - he heard the story from his colleague (who had to call the ER before our arrival - so she wouldn't be sent home). Family doc was very angry/upset - she should only have been to the ER once - not three times. Said if I need anything, don't hesitate and give him a call. He did say there may be a time when gran gets sick again ~ then it may be time to seriously start talking about assisted living. The way she bounced back proved to him that she's not read for assisted living/skilled nursing.

Prior to the c-diff, grandmom could care for herself with minor assistance from me (...mostly opening the cap on the mouthwash - little things like that). Never had an issue with cleanliness with her... only issue with her is dry skin - which I think runs in the family anyways.

After the second ER visit - I had called home health and already had the ball rolling. Was told they would start officially that Monday - which didn't happen due to being admitted to the hospital the Friday before... but the agency is well aware of what's going on - they've been to the rehab facility to review grandmom's file - and are ready to go once she's discharged. I'm definitely not qualified to be caregiver of the year ~ I'm not superwoman... I know my limits and know when to ask for help.

And yes - it was 'APS' that left their card in the door. How would I go about investigating who made the complaint? Do I have a right to know? Definitely will be calling her family doctor tomorrow too -- so I can get copies of grand mom's medical records from his office.
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When you state "older" protection services - Do you mean adult protection services? This agency is only contacted when someone suspects neglect and/or abuse. They're investing a complaint made by someone - and you have the right to be informed of who made the complaint. Someone at the hospital who was reviewing your grandmother's health, her overall appearance (if she is not cleaned, matty/dirty hair, smells bad/weird, skin breakdown from slow healing wounds or bruises (elderly bruise easily from just slightly kicking their feet against something, for example, etc), at the time of her intake may have suspected neglect or abuse - or - her overall health is not good, is deteriorating (somone with a strong immune system - will not get C.Diff) , and should be in a facility with round the clock watch and more people available to help care for her; if you're the only one caring for her then someone at the hospital may have decided your grandmother is too much work for you. But I'll also state medical personnel can be wrong and are very quick to judge - and they make mistakes all the time. You need to get a hold of your grandmother's ER medical records - to protect yourself. You also need to see her primary care physician to explain what happened - and bring your grandmother's records with you to this appt. You should also consider filing a complaint against the first ER doctor with the hospital and with the State Medical Board (who'll review the records; it's their job to review medical records when a complaint is filed) because he clearly neglected your grandmother - she never should've been sent home. Urine tests completed in the ER do not take a long time - and if urine was smelling that bad - this alone is a serious concern to be looked into and this ER doctor is a moron for not admitting your grandmother to the hospital at the first visit. I've had a lot experience in dealing multiple doctors over the years - it's very frightening how stupid some of these doctors can be and I wonder how the heck did they get their medical degree. Doctors can be parrots; they spend years memorizing in medical school but lack common sense in the real world.
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That ER doctor bumped his head.
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If GMA goes to ER again, and you talk with Social Services there, and they offer you IN HOME CARE, For instance, Hospice,, take it. They may ask in a strange way, does GMA need home care? Your first answer is 'NO I GOT IT" You want to be Caretake of the Year... Sometimes, you may just need a bit of help. Make sure you ,make it clear, GMA is staying home....

But they may be able to send in a home care nurse to follow up on her a couple times a week..... They did this with my aunt... Now aunt doesn't need it anymore....
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C-diff is dangerous and things at home must be sanitary. The APS is probably coming to assess your home for safety and cleanliness, and teach you to avoid spreading the disease, not to accuse you of anything.
When your gma appeared at the E.R. did she appear unkempt with long fingernails, dirty hair, torn clothes? So sorry to ask and you don't need to answer. The E.R. doc who refused to treat a very ill woman is the most likely
mandated reporter-I don't know what his problem was. Maybe they are actually investigating the doctor's actions.
It could be anything, not you, nothing you have done.
It is so nice some protections are in place for folks.
Sorry to bring up gma's appearance, but you wanted to know possibilities, yes?
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While in the hospital, Gran was given antibiotics (Flagyl) as well as fluids for dehydration. Was only on the IV for 1 1/2 days ~ she bounced back quickly. Prior to the c-diff she was a picky eater (didn't eat much) - but loves her ensure drinks. With each passing day she's getting better -- her color looked good the second day in the hospital...with each passing day she was moving more normal (has arthritis though - but she's almost 96)...moves slow but that's her.. I did catch her daughter trying to force feed her. I'm beyond heart broken.
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Gran isn't ready for nursing home care - I promised her years ago that I wouldn't put her in a home unless it was absolutely necessary. Truthfully, even with the c-diff, it's not necessary... she can still care for herself, etc (just needs a little extra help at times - mostly just getting her up out of the bed so she can use the bathroom). I'm just flabbergasted that I have a card from an investigator with older adult services.
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You can't possibly be blamed for your gma contracting c-diff. And... I don't want to scare you, but I do want to warn you that gma likely won't recover from c-diff since it is so difficult to treat and will sap the strength of anyone, especially elderly. There are things you can do - feed her lots of yogurt and good probiotics. Did the docs put her on IV antibiotics for the time she was hospitalized?

My advice is to talk to the social worker. There may indeed be something they can offer you. If something was reported, you can clear it up easily. People do things to cover their own butts, as you know, and medical personnel are no different. Someone may have sensed you might benefit from some help, who knows.

"Don't borrow tomorrow's troubles..." :-) Call, see what it is. Come back and talk about it and people here will continue to offer support and advice through anything. (((hugs)))
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I would call to see what it is. It may be something simple, like talking about arrangements for you gma going forward. Or it may be that someone reported something. What you can do is be honest. I'm sure they will see that you are doing your best in a situation the doctor should have helped with. I feel bad for both your gma and you. Big hugs.
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