I am looking for a nursing home for my Mom (81). Any advice?

I was up for a job in a nursing home filling the beds. I was told my job would be to call all the hospitals to tell them the facility had a bed open. To make money those beds have to be filled. It works in reverse for a hospital. The Social Worker calls around to see who has an empty bed. Then they have to determine if that facility will take the insurance u have. Most take Medicare not all take Medicaid. To get what u want, u may have to pay out of pocket. After the first 20 days that can mount up and after 100 even more with Medicare. Medicaid will pu any balances. I agree, if u don't feel the SW is helping, go to the Administrator.

So sorry about your mom. Went through brain tumor with my sister. Hope you have a couple days to wade through this. Yes - places that provide Medicaid beds AND have an opening are hard to find nowadays. The SW at the hospital should have a list of SNF's that provide Medicaid beds. The SW is trying to free up a bed at the hospital, not find your mom the best place. (It's the same here in CA) Like Maggie said - If you have the time- get the listing from the SW so you can pick places close to you & call (ask YOUR questions - not what the SW would ask) and go look at it. After you've made the selection - SNF can/should arrange for all transportation to required services that they do not provide in-house; including appointments to Specialists. If you're lucky you can find a sub-acute place that is in a separate wing of a hospital. Medicaid covers things that Medicare and private-pay doesn't - but trying to find a place with an opening will be a challenge. Sorry I can't be of more help. My heart is with you.

Curious why would your Mom continue to reside at a hospital for 6-7 weeks? Or am I reading that wrong?

After my Dad had a surgery, the hospital transferred him to a nursing home that had a rehab center within the nursing home... there was no transporting back and forth. Are you sure that isn't the case?

So, you have tried HHH Westchester, which has sub-acute rehab?
The reqiured transportation, if any, can be arranged by the staff at the facility she is placed in, let them do their jobs, if you can get anyone to do their jobs, these days.

You'll have to do your own research then. You have your list of "must-haves." Quick phone calls will narrow your list of possibles. Then make 15-minute appointments with your shortened list and make your decision. Important to me from my experience with mom would be that the common room be open from early morning to early evening...that it be near the nursing station...that the building was built as a nursing home and wasn't a poorly retrofitted older building...staff to patient ratios. I'm thinking if you Google, you'll get lots of criteria on which to base your decision. BUT probably won't have a lot of time.

Joann is right, to have choices in where she goes you have to be with Medicare plus supplemental insurance (be sure to get Prior Auth from the ins!). If you're on Medicaid you will get wherever they have a bed open. I'm sorry she has had brain surgery, and now has to have radiation. That to me is much more concerning that where she will sleep at night.

You could consider getting the services of an Assisted Living Locator, which helped us once after my mom's "cut letter" from skilled nursing/rehab - I ended up finding better places just by getting out and looking around though.

Have you tried calling a rep from A Place for Mom or a group like that? They have lists of facilities in your area and can tell you what they provide. It will give you a place to start. Also, I think Bethel in Croton on Hudson provides transportation, I see their vans around.

So sorry your mom is so ill, and that the hospital is not giving you choices.

Refuse to sign the discharge papers until it is all ok and planned out.