My mother has Parkinson’s disease and recently she could not get up from the bedside commode.
She has been declining for some time now, being very slow and rigid movements. But never has it taken her an hour to get up off the commode.
So of course I was very concerned. After she was finally able to reach her bed and rest I called her neurologist and he said to get her to the emergency room.
I called an ambulance and followed in my car. They kept her for several days in the hospital doing all sorts of tests, a little bit of physical therapy towards the end of her stay. No UTI, no stroke, no heart issues, etc. They tested her cognitive function. That was fine as well.
They recommended treatment in a skilled nursing facility to gain strength to which I totally agreed with. She has been there for a few weeks.
It’s an older nursing home but the skilled nursing rehab section is very good. Some people on staff leave a lot to be desired. I was hoping for the best but the nursing homes in our area are not the best facilities.
I completely realize that they are understaffed, have a very demanding job, underpaid, etc, but I do expect them to do a reasonable job in caring for the residents. I do appreciate everything they do well. The social worker is wonderful to work with. I recently had an update from the social worker about her progress. She is willingly doing all of her physical therapy. She has been tested for cognitive skills also. The social worker says her cognitive skills are great for someone her age. (93)
The social worker says she is making progress with physical therapy in all areas except for balance which is common for Parkinson’s patients to have issues with which is why she uses a walker. She is now needing more help with dressing, toileting, getting in and out of bed and so forth.
My concerns are my mom only takes very few meds. She has always been and still is extremely accurate and aware of the dosages of her medication.
She has a system where she places the correct pills out at the appropriate times of the day and in the home they were giving meds precisely according to her doctor’s prescribed amount.
The major complaint I have is mom told me last night they gave her two of her Sinemet, Parkinson’s meds at one time and she immediately pointed out that she takes one and the next dose is four hours later.
She said they told her to take both pills to which she questioned why, the response the woman gave was so she wouldn’t have to come back again later.
So mom asked if it would hurt her to take two pills at a time and she said no. Mom took it as she was told but it bothered her.
Needless to say, I am not happy about that answer at all. That is her job to give meds as they are prescribed. She wasn’t on duty when I was there so I didn’t address it at that time. I asked mom if she saw her name tag and she said no. I wish I had her name.
When I got home I called my local pharmacy and spoke to the pharmacist and she said if it happened one time that mom should be fine but she should have given it as prescribed and that she wouldn’t want it to happen again and also asked me to report it to the facility.
My friend who is a nurse told me awhile back that the staff takes liberties with meds that they shouldn’t and it always concerned her when her dad was in a home.
I was hoping we wouldn’t run into these issues. I felt terrible for mom because I told her when she entered the home that they would take good care of her. I visit regularly to check on her.
The other complaints I suppose are common. They don’t arrive to her room promptly to take her to the bathroom and they leave soiled diapers on for longer than they should. They use diapers overnight.
They also wouldn't give her a fresh cup to rinse her mouth after brushing teeth and she shares a bathroom with her roommate, plus the room next door to her. She didn’t know if anyone had used it. That isn’t sanitary.
Need feedback
There should be a nurse manager in charge of the unit that your mother lives. You should ask to talk with her as special care conference. As you should be having regular care conferences to discuss your moms care.
There should be a written grievance system/policy to be given to the social worker/nurse manager in which they have to investigate and the administrator follows up on. If still no results there is a Ombudsman to call to help resolve the issues.
You can also file a report with the state department of health if things do not resolve.
Hope these ideas help
I’m not doing well. My mom is due home tomorrow and I am nervous as hell. Her doctor appointments aren’t until August. It’s so damn difficult caring for a loved one. Doesn’t matter how much they are loved by us, it’s still hard. I’m going to bed in just a few minutes to get some rest. Was watching a little tv to distract myself. Thanks so much for caring. Means so much.
I am a bit concerned about her balance. She did complete her skilled nursing rehab rehab program but she’s going downhill with Parkinson’s. I hate that she has to suffer.
I did report meds incident to head nurse and social worker. I am pleased how they are handling it. Mom happened to see that nurse again, (LPN) and asked what was her name. So I did get to tell them who it was. They are going to address her specifically and tell all others who administer meds not to double dose residents so they can save a trip to give a later dosage.
This stuff gets harder and harder harder to deal with. Have a meeting with a palliative/hospice organization Friday. Not sure what is the best route yet. I will need more help somewhere down the line. Trying to figure it all out and as we know it is not a one size fits all kind of thing. It’s intensely personal that has to be catered to our own specific needs.
Also checking into qualifying for Medicaid in case we need or desire to do nursing home. Still waiting to see if she qualifies for veteran benefits. It’s a waiting game on this stuff. Just never ends and truly consumes our lives.