My sister is running out of time off and doesn't need to get fired! My father continues to fall and was taken to ER. I don't know what category this falls under...
So dad is actually living in AL.... If dad is in AL and having significant enough issues that he is either going on his own or being sent to the ER from the AL on a regular basis, he needs to moved into a NH where he’s under skilled nursing care so that alone should cut way way back on anymore ER runs as care will be in the NH unless he’s really really ill and needs hospitalization.
His care has likely moved beyond what AL & thier requirements to be good on ADLs need to be imo. To be able to do anything legally for dad the contact person with him at ER needs to be dpoa & mpoa so they can legally represent him & make decisions. If Sissy cannot do this even if he’s moved to NH, then dad can have a guardian appointed by the state.
SA has a tiered facility - the old Air Force Village, it’s got a new name which right now I can’t remember - which is all about care for vets. Have you looked into it? Has IL, AL & NH skilled care. It’s excellent. The medical directors are from UTHSC gerontology dept along with Wilford Hall & Joint base BAMC doctors. So it will dovetail into VA paying for medical services. Also Morningside has tiered facilities & thier topnotch too.
I'm asking because my sister can't keep taking time off from work to run to the ER. Dad lives in an Asst Living. The VA has our numbers so we'll just have to keep following up until she can get there or we come up with someone else. They have my number too. he's military and very stubborn to ask for help. We can only do our best....and yes, he has a call button. My question was about someone at the ER not about meds, etc. We've dealt with all of that. Thanks anyway.
Sorry, no agency. Even when in homes, they r just sent with the EMTs and left. This bothered me since Mom had Dementia. If Dad is in his own home maybe it's time for an AL or NH.
cps, I also never heard of an Agency that would meet a patient at an ER until family arrives.
Is your Dad calling 911 when he falls and cannot get up? Or is he calling your sister who in turns called 911? One suggestion is to keep a packet of Dad's medical history in the house.... doctor names, meds Dad is currently taking, your sister's and your telephone numbers, and put this packet on the refrigerator, or some place where the packet can easily be found, your sister could relay where the packet is located.
When my Dad lived in senior living, any time he needed to go to the ER, the nurse at the senior living would have paperwork already to give to the EMT's who in turn gives the information to the ER. It usually takes a couple of hours to run tests, x-rays, etc. so that would give your sister a later time to reach the ER. Unless she feels Dad would be scared there on his own. Not everyone likes being in a hospital.
Now, your Dad's family doctor needs to find out why is Dad falling. Is he taking pills that make him light-headed, or makes him feel faint when he goes from sitting to standing? Does Dad use a walker or refuses to use one? Is there a pattern on what Dad is doing when the falls happen?
If Dad is making regular trips to the ER, I’d have to think the issue is not with finding an agency who can meet him there the next time he falls (I’ve not heard of any) but perhaps having a discussion with your sister about Dad’s living arrangements and what can be done to keep him safe. It’s possible he may not be able to continue living on his own if he now does, or for him to be alone if your sister lives with him and he is alone while she works. I know from personal experience with a mom who fell regularly (actually all her adult life) that falls can happen in a split second and it’s important to have someone right there to deal with the aftermath asap. I would have a family meeting before finding someone who will meet him at the ER. I’m not sure a hospital would be on board with dealing with a non-family member or what you’d have to go through to convince them it was OK.
If dad is in AL and having significant enough issues that he is either going on his own or being sent to the ER from the AL on a regular basis, he needs to moved into a NH where he’s under skilled nursing care so that alone should cut way way back on anymore ER runs as care will be in the NH unless he’s really really ill and needs hospitalization.
His care has likely moved beyond what AL & thier requirements to be good on ADLs need to be imo. To be able to do anything legally for dad the contact person with him at ER needs to be dpoa & mpoa so they can legally represent him & make decisions. If Sissy cannot do this even if he’s moved to NH, then dad can have a guardian appointed by the state.
SA has a tiered facility - the old Air Force Village, it’s got a new name which right now I can’t remember - which is all about care for vets. Have you looked into it? Has IL, AL & NH skilled care. It’s excellent. The medical directors are from UTHSC gerontology dept along with Wilford Hall & Joint base BAMC doctors. So it will dovetail into VA paying for medical services. Also Morningside has tiered facilities & thier topnotch too.
My question was about someone at the ER not about meds, etc. We've dealt with all of that.
Thanks anyway.
Is your Dad calling 911 when he falls and cannot get up? Or is he calling your sister who in turns called 911? One suggestion is to keep a packet of Dad's medical history in the house.... doctor names, meds Dad is currently taking, your sister's and your telephone numbers, and put this packet on the refrigerator, or some place where the packet can easily be found, your sister could relay where the packet is located.
When my Dad lived in senior living, any time he needed to go to the ER, the nurse at the senior living would have paperwork already to give to the EMT's who in turn gives the information to the ER. It usually takes a couple of hours to run tests, x-rays, etc. so that would give your sister a later time to reach the ER. Unless she feels Dad would be scared there on his own. Not everyone likes being in a hospital.
Now, your Dad's family doctor needs to find out why is Dad falling. Is he taking pills that make him light-headed, or makes him feel faint when he goes from sitting to standing? Does Dad use a walker or refuses to use one? Is there a pattern on what Dad is doing when the falls happen?