My mother fell and broke her shoulder. She was in hospital for 1 week. They referred her to physical therapy/rehab in a nursing home. She was taken there by me today. I took her to a place recommended that was only 15 minutes from her home. She will be staying at the nursing home while receiving the therapy/rehab. I live 3 hours from my mom and I’ve been with her since I got the call. 1 week today. Also, just a note, She lives alone. I would like to transfer her to a place near me because I can’t stay in her area for several weeks. I know this can be done once I find a place near me, but I need to know if I can place her in physical therapy/rehab that she doesn’t have to stay (temporarily live at the facility while in therapy as she is now) so she can stay with me. Is this possible? I would drive her to/from, she’d be with her daughter (me) and my husband. I’m the only person who can care for her should something happen (like her current situation).
As GA states her rehab in the center won’t last too long. I would suggest she stick it out where she is but come to stay with you afterwards with home physical therapy, although going to an out patient PT near you can be arranged as well.
Was the surgery arthroscopic or more invasive? But the therapists have to get in there and raise the arm and begin range of motion exercises immediately. That’s why it’s optimal to be physically in a rehab center post op.
Good luck to you!
A care plan should be held the first week, with sometimes vague goals discussed, and estimate of therapy length discussed. I've been through so many of these that they're literally boilerplate by now.
One month has been the typical experience, and this was for leg fractures.
On discharge, the rehab facility will script for home care, which generally includes a nurse, physical and occupational therapists, and a home health aide and social worker if you want them.
You can transfer your mother before that, but get a letter from her regular doctor (orthopedic, probably since there was a fracture involved), stating that your mother still needs therapy but is being transferred to be closer to her daughter. That letter is primarily for Medicare in case it questions and disallows payment at the second facility.
We did this and had no problem, but I had the letter from our ortho surgeon Just in case.
Be aware that in our area home care agencies typically want to get their people out and into the patient's home the first week. I suspect this is the case in other areas as well.
This results in all medical and nonmedical people coming, sometimes 2 or even 3 per day. Be prepared to limit their visits. The nurse handles intake and comes first, then physical and occupational therapists will follow but the social worker and health aid may also want to come the first week. Don't let them; allow your mother to acclimate to your home first. It may be overwhelming for her first to go through rehab at the facility, then transfer to your house.
Social worker can come at any time. You don't have to have a bath aide, but if you do, they can come after the therapists begin their treatment.
Home care for my father (almost 100) has never lasted more than a month.
I would not consider taking her directly to your home for therapy w/o having as much therapy as you can get at a rehab facility. You wouldn't have the machines and equipment that could provide a higher level of care and facilitate faster recovery. Allow her to get as much therapy as possible at a rehab center, then follow up with home care.
Also, do your research before selecting home care. Some agencies are good; some are not. Make a checklist of everything you think important, including how much experience the proposed home care workers have with older people. I've encountered therapists who treat my older father as they would treat someone in his 50's or even younger.
Someone who doesn't realize how frail and how much limited energy an older person has can push that individual to his/her limits, leaving him/her exhausted after a therapy session. And don't allow both PT and OT to come on the same day. It's too much for someone and wears the patient down.