Follow
Share

Does anyone know of an agency that helps people up and down their stairs to get from home to doctor's appointments and back? My mother lives on the second floor and can't get up and down the stairs by herself. She can call a cab & pay for it, but she needs help getting to the cab and back up. I take her to as many appointments as I can, but she needs to go to 6-7 doctors appointments a month. My employer is understanding, but this is too much.

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing
Oh my, you are correct this is too much. Your profile says her problem is with mobility. It would be helpful to know how many doctors she is seeing and why she is seeing them. I work in health care and in our practice people with multiple chronic problems (diabetes, congestive heart failure, COPD) do not see their doctor that often. People with fewer chronic problems are seen 4-6 times per year. In addition to seeking assistance to get her to appointments, please evaluate if it is necessary for her to see the doctor(s) as frequently as she does. I hate to say this, some doctors see their patients frequently to generate revenue for their practices. I also hate to say this, but sometimes medical appointments become social outings for elders.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

I scanned through the responses... Your best option, the way I see it, based upon her age, current needs and expected decline, is a new living space for her that would not require walking up and downstairs. Really.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

Our local fire department told us we could call anytime we needed help getting my mom up the stairs and out of the house. Up until now we have not had to do this but it does take 3 people to get her in and out right now.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Seeing doctors for follow up after a fall, hospitalization and rehab adds complexity to the discussion. Having an appointment with her general doctor after her discharge from rehab was very important for continuity of care. In addition to examining her, they should have reviewed her medications to determine if their records match what she was prescribed when she was discharged from rehab. This is part of coordinating care during transitions of care. What do they plan to evaluate at the two week follow up appointment? Does her general doctor have a care coordinator nurse or nurse case manager? This person may know of resources for transporting your mother as well as working with you to identify if the specialist care is needed at this point. Please communicate to you general doctor's staff the difficulties you are facing. Sounds like she is home bound, would a referral to Home Health be helpful? I don't know what resources they could bring on the transportation issue but certainly could help with care coordination. Is not being able to do stairs temporary because of the fall or is it going to be long term? (sorry to be so nosy) Having a daughter with special needs isn't off-topic. Her needs affect you also.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

I agree with sonswife, as I can tell my mother enjoys going to the doctor, as it is a place to go and get out of the house. In addition, she enjoys talking to the doctors. Could you move her bed to the first level and then she would not have to go to the second level at all, or is she living in an apartment? In addition, what about stair lifts?
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Thank you so much for responding! I wonder the same thing, does she need this many appointments. How can I evaluate if she needs the appointment or not when the doctor has his nurse call and say she needs the appointment? Also she just got out of the hospital & rehab after a fall. Her general doctor wanted to see her because she just got out of the hospital, plus a 2-week followup. Her orthopedic doctor at the hospital needs a follow-up. She needs dental care. She is also seeing two different specialists at different locations for another condition. (They also needed to see her after getting out of the hospital) Additionally, she needs to be taken for tests and scans occasionally. Sorry to vent but my daughter is special needs... she also needs appointments... (I know that's off-topic, thanks for understanding)
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

I can't even tell you how happy it makes me that you all responded, thank you so much. Amyrup: The fire department is something I had never considered. But it is a good resource to know about. Right now it seems like overkill. She doesn't actually have to be lifted. She needs help getting the walker down the stairs, and someone to walk next to her and steady her ad carry her purse and documents. But its good to know about. Sonswife: you have given me a lot of good questions to ask her doctor about. Also I don't know what "home health" is, so thanks for telling me about it, I will do some research on that. I am hoping the stair-thing is tempor'y. She is improving. Maybe she won't need so many appointments in the future, but I am looking for a services to address the times when she does need it, and I am not available.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

and Whitney: I am afraid my mother enjoys the appointments all too much although she would deny it. She lives in a second floor condo. A stair lift might turn out to be a useful idea in the end, but there is always the neighbors' kids to worry about, hurting themselves, and vandalism. Also it's a lot of expense if she ends up moving out. (she isn't ready to now, but if she keeps on breaking bones, she may have to ready or not.) That's why I was kind of hoping to find someone to help her go to the appointments, now, and the next time she requires a flurry of appointments.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

pinenuts - I'm not sure why I didn't realize she'd had a broken bone when you wrote that one of the specialists was an orthopedist. That follow up appointment ranks right up there with the initial appointment with her general doctor in importance for ongoing care following discharge from rehab. Is there staff at the rehab facility who might moonlight on days off and be available to hire to do the transportation? They would have the proper training to assist her. I'm assuming the rehab was near where your mother lives.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Just thought of the Area Agency on Aging. They may have resources for the transportation piece of this.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter