My mother in law is close to death and we want to take her home for in home hospice but the rehab is dragging their feet. Advice?

Have her physician order "Transfer to in home Hospice " and have the hospice agency interviewed now; they will arrange transfer for you. This is an MD ORDER. Has very little to do with their wishes. Will be done at once as soon as the MD order is in.

Take her home. The rehab's financial loss does not supercede the family and patient wishes EVER. Contact Medicare or her insurance carrier. Also, call the state ombudsman.

"Welcome to the Ombudsman.IN.gov website, where citizens can connect with multiple Ombudsman for state agencies. The mission of an Ombudsman is to investigate and attempt to resolve complaints when dealing with specific state agencies. Use this site as a method of contacting the Ombudsman and accessing the provided resources."

We all have the right to have our final days spent surrounded by loved ones.

Rehab is an option, not a given. Dad could have turned it down. I agree, talk to Moms PCP and get an order for in home Hospice. Rehabs are not prisons. Don't ask, inform the NH you will be placing Mom on Hospice. This is a safe discharge. Tell them you need her discharged immediately. If under AMA, Medicare will still pay for the days she was in rehab and don't allow them to say they won't. Medicare will also pay for her care under Hospice. Call your State Ombudsman.

Exactly the same situation happened with my mother. She wanted to die by starving ( awful choice but it was her decision) but the facility where she was wanted to force-feed her. So my brother carried her to the car to take her home which was only a few miles away. There she died two days later under the care of my brother and in-home hospice. She was happy to be in her beloved house on the coast.

Exactly who have you spoken to about your situation? I don’t mean a person’s name. I mean, what position of authority are they in?

Absolutely, use hospice for her final days. They are incredibly compassionate and are excellent caregivers.

I take it that you have hospice on standby.

I am terribly sorry that you are struggling with all of this.

I wish you peace during this difficult time.

I will keep your family and your mom in my thoughts and prayers.

Perhaps you can get hospice involved in getting her discharged ASAP. You can also have her transferred to a hospice facility where she will be able to spend her final days/weeks, and she will receive great care. Bringing her home under hospice care will be a lot for you all to handle, but it certainly can happen if your family is ready to step up to handle her 24/7 care. Hospice does but only so much when in the home. The nurse will come only once a week to start, and they'll send an aide to bathe your MIL, about twice a week. Other than that 99% of her care will fall on you and the family. Whereas in their facility she will receive the 24/7 care she needs. It's your choice. And just so you know, hospice care is covered 100% under your MIL's Medicare. They will pay for any and all needed equipment, supplies and medications. They will also cover her transportation by ambulance to either home or their facility.
If push comes to shove, I would just go in the rehab facility and get her out, whichever way you go, hospice in home or in their facility. I wish you the best in getting her where she needs to be.

You can change the hospice agency ANYTIME. Get another one on board for home hospice and bring her home. I was a LTC Ombud in CA for 7 years. Her POA should speak to the head admin at the rehab and tell him or her you want Mom transferred to home ASAP. Keeping her a day longer is doing it against your consent and you want your "lack of consent to remain in the rehab put in her medical record." Then "threaten" to call your atty about a filing a lawsuit and the state agency overseeing the facility. Use those words, "lack of consent."
The head of the facility will not want any of this. Be strong, the POA rules.

I disagree with a few other posters. Do NOT remove her AMA (against medical advice) or the insurance company might not pay for her current care at all. (It happens all of the time.)

Get the MD to write an order for home hospice. Once approved, just put her in a wheelchair and take her home.

You CAN just put her in a wheelchair to your car & bring her home. Have hospice ready with the bed, etc. This isn't jail. I have done this myself in CA. Good luck to you,, hugs.

Report them to Medicare, it worked for me