Want to bring my husband home from nursing home. Nursing home and Hospice giving me a hard time. Say I need a Care Plan, but I don't know how much help I will need. I understand he will have to be moved frequently, as he is immobile. I didn't have help when he was mobile, I did everything myself for 8 years. What have others done?
The only big lifting is bed to wheelchair and back again. Depending on how much physical strength you have that may be a problem. But there are ways to deal with that. The CNA at rehab was about half my size and she managed it. That is if you want to make them wheelchair mobile. That's not a requirement. Many people in nursing homes never leave their bed.
I say it a lot. I'll say it again. Get an inflating mattress for the bed. The air mattress will cycle through various cells to prevent bed sores. I only paid like $40 for ours. It's cheap for the benefit it gives.
I suggest you leave him where he is. When Hospice is not present, he is still getting round the clock care. What are you going to do if your Fibromyalgia flairs up? Your depression worsens? How are you going to care for your husband when u can't care for yourself?
a hospital bed
a variable pressure air mattress
a slide sheet
a Hoyer lift or similar
minimum three slings to fit the lift
a large supply of bedlinen
a portable wash stand
many towels
a bedside commode if your husband is able to sit
reliable supplies of continence care products
When my mother was discharged home from rehab, it was on condition that her Care Plan specified 2 x caregivers 4 x per day. Now that I am seeing life from the other side of the fence, I know that this is called bed care, it will be included on what we call "double-up" rounds, and getting it to happen four times a day... well, you'll be lucky. It isn't just a question of paying for it, either; because no amount of money will make that many staff hours materialise out of thin air.
What happened in reality is that my mother got one carer once a day for one hour, and me.
How fit are you? What *is* your husband able to do? Can he turn, with help? Can he sit up, with help?
What is your hospice provider offering?
Do you have access to other service providers as well?
Depending on how fragile your husband is, he may need repositioning every two hours to avoid skin breakdown, even with the air mattress. If the NH and hospice want to give you a hard time about it, they can at least share with you *exactly* what's on his care plan now. There must be one. Ask for a look at it.