My Mom is in a rehab and hates it and wants home health care. I know it is available but how do I find one?

Question

She has compressed fractures in her spine and is in pain. The place she is in doesn't even have a tv for her! She is just supposed to lie there?!
Anyone else have a similar problem?

Answer 1

My mom had compressed fractures too... I took care of her for a while in her home. She then had a balloon surgery in Portland, Oregon. I had to take her up there the first time just to see if she was a candidate.. and she was. So, after that was done, she felt better, but was still in a little pain, so her doctor started perscribing her some pain medicine...
Unfortunately, I had a brother who uh....interrupted her care at home and she was forced to go into a retirement center. It took her a while to get comfortable there, and she was put on anti-depressents while in the nursing home at one time. So she is still on them and is living happily ever after in this retirement home.
In the beginning, this was very painfull, and we learned that I could get paid for taking care of her 8 hours a day thru the Copes program. I would just look up elderly programs in your area of the world, and go from there. If you are any where close to Portland, Oregon, or somewhere else, I could find out the name of that surgery... I'll keep my eye on this question so just ask where it allows you to add details to your question...
I check here more often than my e-mail.
Watch here too, I will put it here when I find it.

Answer 2

I would have researched this question, but you did not tell us where you live. Visit your mom a lot, bring her a tape player or a CD player, and get her some books on tape to keep her mind busy and off her pain. What besides TV would she do at home? Think of some things you can do to help her combat the boredom as you would if she was at home.
Why does she hate rehab? Are they making her do exercises she doesn't feel like doing? If she is in rehab, think about the things you may have to do and changes at home if she did come home. Does she need help walking to the bathroom? Do you have a hospital bed? Will the insurance pay for all those alterations and home health care? Check with the insurance company. They may even have a better idea than rehab, and, if not, she needs to tough it there and heal enough to come home.

Answer 3

Depending on her level of mobility, discharge home with home health care is usually the next step. She must be progressing well in physical and occupational therapy (please tell me she is receiving this at least 5x a week). If she is unwilling or unable to participate at this time, discharge home under medical advise in not likely. Many time with compression fractures, there is just a period of time that it takes for the pain to subside before any significant progress is made. At the very least, she should be reciving position changes every two hours and be up in the chair as tolerated to prevent pressure sores and pnemonia.

Home health care is not what most people envision. She may receieve PT and OT 2-3 times a week and perhaps a home health aid on a part-time basis, but Medicare does NOT pay for a 24 hour in-home caregiver. In other words, she needs to be safe enough to either be alone for about 75% of the day or have family with her when she does not have the home health care personnell present. Home health agencies are often affiliated with the hospital or rehab center. There should be a social worker at the rehab center who could help you arrange this.

Finally, there are inhome private CAREGIVERS. These are people who are paid for by the family out of pocket. These employees are most often referred from an agency where 24 hour care in the home could be arranged. It is very expensive ranging from $100-$200 a day, and it is very difficult to find reliable, competent care. They would need to be trained on how to assist your mother which could be done by the rehab therapy team. She could still receive home health PT and OT on top of this (which would be covered by Medicare). A list of Caregiver agencies are also often available from social services.

To say the very least, she should not just be LYING there. If she is there for rehab, a certain level of participation in therapy is required for Medicare to pay for this level of care. If pain control is the issue, this should be addressed! In the end, if she is of sound mind, she has every right to "check herself out." But of course, this would most likely be against medical advise and she may be shooting herself in the foot to receive any home care coverage. When the time is right, home health PT,OT, nursing and an aide may be appropriate, but she will need to be at a level where she can be living independently unless a 24 hour caregiver is provided by the family.

Answer 4

Ask her doctor. If she is not moving around much, home health care would do her no good. She may not be happy but she is getting care there that she won't be able to get in the home environment. Also the insurance might not cover it. There are worse things in life than not being able to watch TV. Get her a portable one if you're that concerned.

Answer 5

The best place for your Mom right now is rehab. She needs to learn to tough it out, as hard as that may seem to you. I am not aware of home health care for addictions.

Answer 6

get your Mom out of there asap! I have seen places like that, they take the money just not to give you the right care, There is a way to work this out. I had a similar problem with my mom, I took her home and took care of her myself, we have a large home and it worked out perfect and family help also.

Answer 7

talk to her doctor about home health care , or the hospitals social worker , they can help . it may not be possible right now , but ask anyway . if she cant be moved , take a small tv to her, or maybe some dvds and a portable dvd player.

Answer 8

No one is making your mother stay there!!! She can be transferred to another facility if she chooses. She should be having physical therapy, position changes etc. Your mother is the one who needs to speak up and discuss it with her doctor. Depending on what is going on with her, she be able to have home health care.