Recently my father had the coronavirus the hospital discharged him and told me he had to go to a certain short-have re-facility that would accept covid patients. So the facilities that I had had to be a specific choice now that he is at one I am unsatisfied with the care he has been receiving including but not limited to receiving physical therapy once a day only 5 days a week. I can never get a hold of a nurse they don't call me back and when I go to the facility my dad's bed is wet and no one has been in there to change his sheets or gown . They would rather put a diaper on him than assist him to the bathroom he has only been there 10 days and I'm afraid that Medicare will not allow a transfer but I was forced to put him in this facility because of the covid rules at the time.
Yes. Find the SNF you'd like to transfer him to and speak to the admissions director there. In my case, she (the admissions director) called mom's Medicare secondary provider and requested a transfer authorization to the new rehab SNF, which came thru. In the meantime, I spoke to the director at the SNF where she was and told him I was having her transferred out of there and to be prepared. The new SNF sent a mini bus to pick mom up from the SNF from *****which was very highly rated per MEDICARE btw* and drove her to the new SNF where she was treated beautifully. Please note, however, that most SNFs will only do PT/OT 5 days a week, as a rule. Not all do 7 days a week PT.
The first time we went through this, we had to get together, ask for a meeting with staff, and air our grievances. And we got results.
One of the rehab facilities was, as I learned later from an Ombudsperson, noted for accepting patients who never came out alive. It had a horrible reputation, yet the hospital continued to keep it on their list.
You have to do your own homework and rely on your decisions, or those of someone you know and respect.
And, you do NOT have to accept the hospital's recommendation, unless at that time it was the only rehab accepting COVID patients. But I would call around, after doing some research and getting a list of other rehab facilities.
If you change, be sure to ask the prescribing doctor who has either been treating your father regularly or scripted for the rehab facility, and ask if you need a new script. I did this; one of the doctor's NPs wrote a letter supporting the change and I gave it to the substitute rehab center.
FYI, the Alzheimer's Assn. used to keep lists of rehabs, ALs, etc. The lists were good, and at the time were e-mailed to me w/i 1/2 hour or 45 minutes after I called to request. The AAA also kept lists, but it took them a week to get one out.
BTW, document everything you've written and observed about the problems at this facility, and once your father is elsewhere, contact the Ombudsperson and share your observations. You may find that you're not the only who's experiencing these problems.
Thank you for your response. I did do some research on the facilities that were accepting Covid patients. This facility was ranked high but I am now wondering why? I would like to transfer him to another facility now that he is negative. Any suggestions?
Have you cared for your father at home yourself? Are you aware of the problems in timing his toilet needs? It may be a great deal easier to the facility to time his diaper changes than to respond on demand for a long toilet stop. The PT is 5 out of 7 days a week, not perfect, but weekend staffing has always been difficult. There could be a long queue for your father's bed!
It may be that you can do the best for your father, the facility, and yourself, by being grateful for what they can provide. Things may improve in the future, with the luck that we all hope for!