She was on antibiotics IV for five weeks. Can I change rehab facilities.... And if so how do I do that. My aunt isn't happy where she is and I feel she won't get better if she's not happy. How do I do this? Is it possible to get her into a different facility?
What is your aunt not happy with at her current rehab facility that you think would be better at another one?
Your aunt is not a prisoner. She is free to choose any facility that is able to meet her needs and will admit her. But before you go ahead and facilitate such a move, you would have to be very certain that the disruption in her care will be compensated for by definite advantages to the new place - and that's the bit I'd question very closely if I were you. Are you sure she wouldn't hate another place just as much?
For feasibility of move, a lot of this is dependent on what insurance paying. If Auntie was discharged from her hospitalization to rehab AND her primary insurance is Medicare, she has time & progress limitations. Medicare pays100% for the first 20/21 days and then at 80% up to 100 total days IF & ONLY IF she is progressing in her care (like PT). If she isn’t motivated dailyin her PT, ST, OT, etc, she will be viewed as having plateaud for care and so Medicare stops paying. The other insurers tend to follow the same as Medicare. So the clock is ticking & I’d suggest whomever is her POA clearly speak with rehab therapist to see what’s Aunties status is looking like before even looking for another rehab place. If she’s not compliant for care or has platuead out a new facility isn’t likely to take her as insurers won’t pay.
Now if she can totally private pay for her stay, she can probably remain in a speciality rehab facility as long as her funds last.
For feasibility of better care, please keep in mind with Rehab is that it’s designed to get them back to where they were before the incident that placed them into the hospital or at the doctors office was....... so if Aunt with early dementia broke a hip BUT was using a cane to walk before that, PT just needs to get her back to walking with a cane not walking unassisted or treating her dementia. Now if Auntie is youngish, still working & had massive auto accident so has TBI, broken bones, that’s going to have a different rehab care plan & probably could benefit to moving to a very specialized rehab facility once she’s stable and shows increased progress. Dpoa can ask for a care plan meeting to discuss Aunties status & options.
BUT....
the big glaring question of money raises its ugly head. Mother went to a rehab she hated so much she never even got in the bed (to my knowledge) sat in her wheelchair and screamed at the world. (this is after I had warned her, repeatedly, that this particular rehab place was a real dump and had terrible reviews by patients from 20+ years ago)...1 day in and she is beyond furious.
My sister, who is usually MIA, just stepped in, made some calls and threw some cash at a MUCH nicer rehab facility. (I say "threw some cash" but she just paid the difference between what Medicare cost and what the facility cost. She'll PAY for anything!) Mom stopped fussing, she was happier, I guess, but it did take her a really long time to heal and go home. She went from using a cane to being fully walker-dependent. (Hip replacement).
So, yes, you can move her, but it will cost you, moneywise, and frustration-wise and you try to find a "better" fit for auntie.
MANY people do a long stint in rehab and never get back to "as good as before" I'm sorry to say that, but it's true.