HI guys!!! Been lurking for a while as I've been here looking when my mom passed, then when my father got Alsheimer's I've been able to kind of navigate going thru all the questions and answers.
But now im stumped. My wife's moms' husband has been in the hospital for over a month now. We believe he will be released home(kicked out) in about 40 days as thats when Medicare hits its limit.
Hes in and out of sleep and unresponsive and they are not sure of his issues.
Her mom has i medical issues herself and will be unable to care for him.
They do own a home together and not sure where to go at this point, They live in California and we are on the east coast. We have called and left messages over the last month to elder care services and medicade over the last month and are getting no information.
sorry if this all seems garbled be she is at her wits end.. she has been staying with her mom the last month trying to navigate all of this. Thank you for any input you may have.. Only income is social security.
You say this gentleman is coming home in 40 days. How can that be when there is no one at home to care for him?
You say he has been in a hospital and I have to assume you mean a rehab at this point, as no acute care hospital will today keep someone for 100 days, with a basic failure the thrive dx, though a rehab may.
Whomever is the next of kin best placed to go to Mother and her husband now must do so and get her financial situation sorted and get legal advice how to proceed. There should be division and protection of finances for the Mom while the husband is placed.
Sorry, but family needs to be there. Mom needs HELP right now to get this accomplished in the next month.
1. A recognition that dad isn't coming home and now needs placement
2. notification to the social workers at the current facility that this is necessary.
3. A gathering of the couple's assets and finances and financial info and a visit to an elder law attorney for options and advice
4. During ALL OF THIS the person best able to assist Mom in doing this crucial work over the next month.
In short this gentleman now needs placement and long term care. There will have been any NUMBER of social workers both at hospital and rehab telling the mother this. And there should have been long term care placement done.
Is your wife speaking with the Discharge Planning office at the hospital about next steps?
Will he be discharged to a facility for rehab? That gets paid for by Medicare.
There are social workers at the hospital who can guide your wife and her mom.
If dad is going to end up as a long term resident of a facility after rehab, mil needs to see an Elder law attorney to split their assets so she doesn't become impoverished.
Has your wife or her mom looked at any facilities? They should be figuring out where they want him placed.
Has wife been in touch with the local Area Agency on Aging?
I visited 3-5 days a week and 99% of that time, I had to bring to the attention of management and staff things that should be done, what was / was not being done. In essence, hold the facility accountable - even to ensure they gave my friend clean water. I mention this as when if a loved one is placed in a nursing home, it is imperative that someone visit / act as a liaison for the family living outside the area to ensure proper basic care is provided.
* I worked with an Ombudman and after several attempts to work through needs directly with facility, I reported to the nursing home licensing board. Unfortunately, they make two unannounced visits and if things appear 'okay' during those visits, there is nothing more they do.
There are several 'reasons' for lack of basic are at nursing homes (from my experience):
* Inept management / executive director (they know they will get reimbursed however this works regarding of quality of care); they may care or not how individual patients are cared for - they blame others when the responsibility is always on the executive director - the top management.
* Lack of accountability (communication directives) from the executive director down through the ranks of management, nursing, line staff.
* Inadequately trained line-staff
* Not enough aides / CNAs (many I encountered were from other states).
I don't say this to scare you. It is the reality. Be sure to have someone there during the time a loved one is placed in a nursing home.
Gena / Touch Matters
https://www.aging.ca.gov/
She has an appt with an elder care atty on Monday, the hospital is calling her mom asking when she can come get him, her response of course is I can't IM 80 and just had a heart attack I can't take him, but they are pressuring her.
wife is having no luck with Medicare she cannot get a response.
I just told her(wife) that the thread has blow up with a lot of great info and to please reach out to the forum with an update, SHe replied she will at lunch.
like I said I may interpret some of the happing's wrong lol
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