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Quick breakdown. Mom fired her third caregiver on Thanksgiving Day. She took a fall this past Wednesday and went to the hospital who released her in a few hours. Found her the next morning flat on her back and could not get up. Called an ambulance to take her back to the ER where they found out she broke her left shoulder the night before. She has no use of her left hand from severe complications from open heart surgery April 2017. I was told they were going to release her again with no use of her arms or hands. I explained her cognitive and mental state and was told they don’t deal with those issues. I explained because of her mental state I can’t have her around my 5 year old at my house and it can be three to four days in-between me being able to check on her. Also, said she just fired her third caregiver because of her paranoid state of mind and goes on and on how everyone she encounters is no good lying, cheating, stealing •%*! Completely burned out after going on with this even before the complications from the open heart surgery. Still can’t believe all the medical professionals I encountered who have told me there is nothing they can do for her cognitive or mental state of mind. Flying solo with no relatives to help out.

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Fox, how are things going?
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foxpc586 Dec 2018
It’s been rough. They did keep my mother after I told them without the use of her hands I will be sending her right back by ambulance. She made it to skilled nursing rehab for one day and they had to send her right back to the ER for her heart. Now she is back at rehab with extreme paranoia. It’s terrible the system that is in place by the medical field and insurances. Seems to me it will come down to a large group movement to hopefully help our elders and give them the respect and dignity they deserve. Frustrated there seems to be so many others with similar stories and so many people / companies looking to clean up on families. Wish the media would run with our stories and help push this issue onto center stage for the politicians to move forward.
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Is there a social worker or a discharge planner at the hospital? You need their support. Are you in contact with her doctor? He could mandate that she is not to live alone any more. Sounds like she needs to be placed in a facility after getting a thorough geripsych evaluation. Now that she is in hospital she should be referred to a geriatric psychiatrist for that and placed where she can get treatment and proper care.
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Foxpc, was it you who called the ambulance, you who accompanied her to the ER, and you who dealt with her admission once the fracture was discovered?

I'm wondering if the hospital has got the strong impression that they can assume you will take responsibility for your mother because you already have done.

I don't mean that makes it okay or reasonable for them to do that. I'm just pointing out that if they have got this impression, you need to make very sure to correct it.

What is your mother telling them, by the way?
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I'm wondering too how your mother is getting home from the hospital. Definitely, do not pick her up and advise well-meaning relatives and friends too not to bring her back home where it's not safe for her anymore.
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Find the dishcarge department and the patient advocate. Get them together in the room or on the phone.

Ask them if the hospital considers this a "safe discharge".

Tell them that you need that in writing, on Hospital letterhead.

And that you'll be forwarding a copy to mom's attorney and to the hospital's attorney. Ask for the name of their law firm and a contact there so that you can be sure you're faxing this information to the correct person.

Let us know how this works out.

If they still determine that discharge is appropriate, call the Ombudsman for elder affairs in mom's State, and the person in mom's congressional district office who deals with health care and elder affairs.
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foxpc586 Dec 2018
Thank you. I will do just that. Very solid advise. I will let you know how it works out. Thank you again
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