I had to place my neighbor in a nursing home rehab because she had to have an operation. I would like to turn them in but I don't know who I should report them to.

$5.000 a month for 24/7 care at home through an agency? In my area it would be around $12,000.00 a month. I would sure double check those rates. They are very low!

I have talked to her case worker and they say that physically she is improving but of course the dementia is progressing. She has the funds to provide around the clock care and if somebody calls in sick, they have replacements to cover for them and I am right next door also. If they do an assessment on her and find out that she can come home I know that it would be just a matter of time before she goes back in because of the dementia. Other than the lifting if she needed it, I have been providing her meals, cleaning her home, giving her meds to her but after two years of doing this and because she has sundowners dementia, she would call or come over all hours of the night thinking it was daytime, I am not getting the sleep that I need also.

Yankee; have you talked to the folks at the rehab about applying for Medicaid for her?

Will the home accept Medicaid?

The other question, of course, is "comfortable" versus "safe".  She might be more comfortable at home, but is it safe, say, if a caregiver calls in sick, or can't get there due to snow.  We face this problem with my mom; she lived in a suburb in the Northeast, atop a hill that iced up in the winter, in an area with no public transport.  

Read Atul Gawande's "On Being Mortal"; he helps you ask the hard questions!

You are right barb, she can’t live alone anymore but so far everyone that does home health has to be paid about 5,500 a month and at that rate I could leave her in the home where she would get round the clock care but I know that she would be more comfortable at home if they can get her to walking again.

Yankee; please talk to the social workers at the rehab. This lady can no longer live alone, even with your substantial, but not 24/7 help. She needs either full time care at home, if she has the funds for that, or placement in some sort of care facility where her needs can be looked after.

That is a huge job! You are such a good friend. I hope she is feeling much better.

I have been working on her house trying to get it ready for her to come back to. I have painted just about all of the rooms along with sorting through her stuff and boxing it up unless it is either no good anymore, cleaning her closets and putting clothes in there that fit her, buying new mattresses and box springs along with bedding, and washing everything in her home from dishes to towels and sheets and clothing so that when she has home health care they won’t turn tail and run away. Lol

When her money runs out, there is Medicaid for exactly this reason.

She has money so far to pay for all of this but not at those rates.

After a few days in the hospital she is now in another rehab and unfortunately it is going to cost 150.00 a day or more until I can get her back home. I still need to find help for her once she is back in her house because she cannot be alone anymore. I have been working at least six hours or more every day cleaning and painting her house. She is a hoarder but not a bad one thank goodness so I have had to sort, pack and donate a lot of stuff. I contacted the state about the nursing home and he is going to call me. Thank you for your answers. It helped a lot.

If you go to...

https://www.medicare.gov/NursingHomeCompare/Resources/State-Websites.html

... you should see this...

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State websites and contact information
On this page you'll find contact information for each state and territory. We provide information (where available) so that you can: 1) file a complaint about a nursing home; and 2) find additional nursing home information provided by a state.

File a complaint

When should I file a complaint?

You should file a complaint if you're concerned about the health care, treatment, or services that you or another person got or didn't get in the nursing home. Some reasons for filing a complaint would be abuse, neglect, poor care, not enough staff, unsafe or unsanitary conditions, dietary problems, or mistreatment.

Where should I file a complaint?

You should file the complaint with your State Survey Agency. The State Survey Agency has regulatory responsibility for all the nursing homes in the state.

Who should file a complaint?

Anyone with knowledge or concerns about the care of a resident in a nursing home may file a complaint with their State Survey Agency.

How do I file a complaint?

You may file a complaint with your State Survey Agency by any means available to you, including mail, telephone, fax, on-line, or in person.

Some states have online complaint forms available (see the table below). If your state doesn't have its own complaint form, you may use this template form to make sure you have all the information you need. You don't need to use this template or limit your information to what’s on the template.


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... and there is a handy downloadable pdf template about halfway down.

I suppose we might count it a blessing that they actually managed to call you about the fall? Otherwise, sheesh. That poor lady is lucky she had you to get her out of there!

YT
You're a special friend to look after your neighbor and I'm sorry for the trauma she's been through
Is she in another nursing home now or still in the hospital ?

You may want to contact the ombudsman to escalate the issues with the first facility and / or notify the state licensing dept