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My grandmother is currently on life support with a ventilator. She is stable but they are trying to place her in a nursing home many miles away from me and I won’t be able to visit her or make sure she is getting the care she needs to have a longer life. Please help anyone. I setup a gofund me account but no one has been donating I need help on which medical transport that I can afford.

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Just trying to transport her may kill her. It will be better to leave her where she is. How far is she from you?
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Asharr Apr 2023
Hi gladimhere she is currently in stable condition and the hospital suggested we move her to a facility for short term vent care. But I expressed my opinions to them and they are on board with helping to get her transported closer to me. She will have high quality care while transported and she is on board because she wants to be closer as well. I’ve seen a lot of people say it’s for my own selfish needs but this was not only my decision it is hers as well. She wants to be near me and I want to make sure that what happened to her due to a home health aides neglect doesn’t happen again.also she is in queens and I am in Niagara Falls. I’ve set up a gofundme account to pay for the out of pocket miles I would have to pay for that insurance does not cover.
thank you for your concern. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
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I am sorry for your situation. I However, you have written to a forum for help. I am seldom this blunt but here goes.

Moving your Grandmother...

I am struggling to see how moving someone in this serious condition would help HER?

"I won’t be able to visit her or make sure she is getting the care she needs to have a longer life."

Q1 Why can't you travel to her? Are you really considering moving such an ill person for your own convenience?

Q2 Are you the only person that can ensure she gets good care? Keeping up to date or overseeing her care (IF you are medical POA) can be done via phone/video call to medical staff.

Q3 Longer life? Why?
What about QUALITY of life?

I am being blunt with good reason. You are grieving.
Maybe at the 'bargaining' stage of denial. Trying to find magical solutions.

Use your common sense & EMPATHY. Do not move such a ill person if it does not directly benefit them.

If Grandmother's health is expected to improve, move her later. When she is not ventilated, when she is ok.

But if this is more of an end of life situation - travel to her & face facts.
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Riverdale Apr 2023
I get the sense the far away nursing home is likely less costly especially to insurance companies.
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How old is your grandmother?
What is her diagnosis and her prognosis for recovery after discussion with her medical team?
Has anyone discussed palliative care or hospice with you?
From the very little information you have given us it is unclear to me if your grandmother's death is expected and imminent or if her recovery is expected.

This doesn't sound like a good plan to me.
Even minimal air transport would be at LEAST 30,000.00, and I don't know of any that would transport an elder on total vent support.
I think it would be very risky to her no matter the type of transport. Have you spoken with EMS about the costs of such a move? Has any hospital agreed to accept your grandmother at their facility?

As this would be something you would be doing for yourself in any likelihood that your grandmother will be sedated in order to tolerate her intubation now for the remainder of her life, I think this is overall not a good idea unless grandmother's team of medical care has suggested otherwise.

I would discuss this with your grandmother's medical team.
I am very sorry for the loss you are sustaining and for your grief.
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Asharr Apr 2023
hi alvadeer my grandmother is 73 and still with us I spoke with the team that’s caring for her and I informed them about the negligence on the home health aides behalf. They failed to report her bedsore so it became unstageable. She has been in the hospital for over 4 months now and her condition began to better. I let them know I didn’t want to risk having her sent to a facility where I would not be able to track her progress and make sure she is being treated for correctly. They said it is very likely that we can discuss medical transport to Niagara Falls from New York City. I’ve called many vent rehabilitation centers and the hospital, care facilities near me and myself have all been working together. It’s only the matter of paying out of pocket for the miles that are not covered by her insurance. I’ve set up a gofundme account for anyone that might want to help me bring her home. Thank you for your concerns questions and answers. I appreciate you guys thank you ❤️❤️❤️
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She's on a ventilator for mobility problems? That's the only health issue you list.
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Asharr Apr 2023
My apologies. She is on a trach due to having a bedsore that became unstageable. When she received surgery to remove the dead skin preventing it from healing she then got pneumonia. So that caused her to need help breathing. She is progressing as we speak so they want to transport her to a vent facility until she no longer needs the trach that is helping her breathe. The doctors and social workers I’ve spoke with asked me to find facilities close to me so that we might get the proper ambulance and nursing team needed for the trip here. I’ve set up a gofundme account for anyone that might want to help me to pay for the out of pocket miles that her insurance doesn’t pay for. My apologies again for the non-specifics ❤️❤️❤️
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Delay the placement or transfer into any facility as long as you can.
A patient in this critical a condition (on life support) should not be moved too soon.

Get a second opinion and support to keep her where she is getting critical care as long as possible.
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Asharr Apr 2023
Hi she is on a trach and as of now her condition is bettering everyday. So they are ready for her to go to a nursing home and receive long care treatment there until the trach is no longer needed. She has no family left everyone on that side of my family passed. My brother and my dad are no longer with us so she only has me left. I’m trying to get her transported to a nursing facility closer to me so I can monitor her and make sure she is being taken care of properly. A home care agency already failed her by not reporting her bedsore so that caused her to be hospitalized. I don’t want to see her being neglected or mistreated again so I set up a gofundme account to pay for the miles that her insurance doesn’t cover. Thank you guys for your concern and questions and answers

❤️❤️❤️
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I'm a little confused. Where is she currently? Hospital? And the Hospital wants to move her to a nursing home far from you, but close to where she is now? Or is the nursing home far from the hospital as well? I thought the insurance would cover the medical transportation. No?
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Beatty Apr 2023
Polarbear, these are good questions. Riverdale asked about insurance reasons too.

I may have jumped way too fast to a very wrong conclusion..

Or maybe the hospital needs to move to an NH bed & what is currently AVAILABLE is unfortunately far away?
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Asharr, welcome!

Your profile says grandma is in NYC in a hospital. Which hospital?

How did she come to be on a ventilator? Does she have COVID?

A friend of mine (she had cancer, but was getting treatment) contracted COVID and went downhill very rapidly. She was put on a ventilator and died subsequently.

Does grandma have any family or friends in NYC you are in contact with?

Does gma have any underlying medical conditions?

What is her medical team telling you about her prognosis?

Moving her from NYC to Buffalo seems short-sighted and cruel. Can you visit her where she is?
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Asharr Apr 2023
She is in queens. And my brother was killed 7 years ago and my father recently passed away last September. She has no family left where she is currently. The reason I want her closer to me is a home health aides negligence to report her bed sore so it became unstageable. If they put her in a nursing home in New York City I will not be able to make sure she is neglected again. She underwent surgery to have the skin removed that was preventing it from healing then pneumonia got into her lungs. she is on a ventilator and the possibility of moving her from one city to another is very likely the doctors said, but due to her needing a ventilator and nurses the trip will be very expensive. The doctors say her condition is getting better and she is stable. I’ve set up a gofundme account to help pay half of the expenses that her insurance does not cover.
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Profile says Gma is in NYC and the OP lives in Niagara Falls.
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Ash, the thing about burning homes? There are MANY eyes on the situation. There are medical professionals (Real RNs) on staff to do skin checks.

In your situation, I would leave gma in Queens until you can relocate her yourself once she's able to travel by car.
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This may or may not help you, but my personal experience has been quite good with many facilities.

When my LO was in an AL/NH environment, skin checks were done, escoriation found by Aides, reported to RN & treated daily. Healed up well while there.

In the home environment, while possibly seen by an in-home Aide, skin issues had NOT been reported to family nor treated (possibly due to LO's denial/refusal).

In the AL/NH they were more thorough, more frequent skin checks, more frequent toileting/pad changes plus daily showering.

I agree with Barb - I would also wait until a safe car ride (or plane trip) would be possible.

Until then, speak to the Nurse Manager of the hospital ward or NH unit for updates. Also to have the phone brought to your Grandmother so you can speak to her. I realise she cannot speak to you, but she may be able to hear you. Worth a go?
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