I have had my mother in a rehabilitation center for 5 months, she had a stroke that paralyzed the left side of her body. She is 82 years old. The therapy in that place has been slow, at first the therapists suspended the therapy for a month because my mother was acting aggressive. Unfortunately, after a month my mother got sick with pneumonia, and that made the therapy take longer. I forgot to mention that she can't eat and is connected to a feeding tube. At first the speech therapist told me that she thought my mother was going to be able to eat, and she passed the water drinking test. The problem is that my mother has gotten sick with pneumonia 4 times, so there have been many delays. I have given her therapy on her left arm and left leg, and she has progressed because she can now move her left arm, and she has moved the fingers of her left hand a few times. Same thing with her left leg. Finally, it seems that next week she is going to start therapy with the speech therapist. I have been told that if a patient can move their tongue it is a sign that he can eat, although yesterday afternoon he coughed again on occasions and that made me nervous. I hope that everything goes well. I forgot to mention that she was put on anxiety medicine and it put her to sleep most of the time. I asked them to stop the medication. I get the feeling that in that place they want her to stay there. I’m planning to bring her back home as long as she can eat. Has something similar happened to anyone?
I see that your mother is currently getting antibiotic care for pneumonia, and that your mother has already a tube feeding. Also that she is requiring medication with xanax. Do know that this medication would not be prescribed for a simple inadvertent scratch sustained by a CNA.
I think that you may be suffering from not a full understanding of your mother's overall condition. You say she is improving and I am very glad to hear that, and that her memory is improving as well. That's wonderful. But it does sound as though (while you have given us few medical history details of her injury and condition) your mother is very ill indeed, and is unable to take in nourishment on her own.
We, as a Forum of strangers who do not know your Mom, her condition, nor her facility itself, cannot know the details of her ongoing care. I will say that I am somewhat suprised that, while having pneumonia, she remains in a rehab. Patients with pneumonia have little strength left as they fight their condition to participate in rehab programs ordinarily, and they often require a move to SNF, perhaps temporarily.
You seem to have a problematic relationship with this facility overall, and I think that's right now where you should start. Ask if you can request a care conference with ALL, PT, OT, Dietary, Nursing to discuss current status for your mom, and plans of care going forward.
I truly wish you the best.