Dad's been in the hospital for 16 days and they now want to move him to long term care with rehab 1 hour/day. He’s no longer on IV but isn’t eating much and it’s puréed food. Whenever I mention the memory care facility I had previously picked out, they tell me he needs long term care. I can understand needing rehab or some PT as he is very weak. I just don’t understand the difference. I guess I can always try what they have in mind and if it’s awful, just move him to memory care. He’s 93 and I don’t think he’s going to be able to rehab anyway. Maybe it’s because Medicare will pay for a few weeks of nursing home rehab “long term care”.
She was not coming straight out of the hospital, however, as your dad is, so perhaps he needs some of that rehab time until he gets a bit stronger. A memory care facility cannot give an IV if he needs that again, so until he needs less medical-focused care, I'd say let him be in the rehab place for a while, then move him to memory care once he's a bit stronger.
My mom was in the hospital in late December, including a week in rehab to finish off IV antibiotics. She's been back at memory care on hospice since January 2, and I will say she's received remarkable care. No, she's not going to get better, but they certainly treat her like a loved one rather than a patient, and I think that's priceless.
Dad's dementia is so much worse now that I am not sure this will help him too much, but he's a fighter and has worked hard on exercising in the past so maybe....
Thanks for all the questions you gave me that I can now discuss with this memory care place for After rehab
Wishing you and your family all the best.
I would talk to the Memory Care you like. Give them permission to get Dads records. Then they can evaluate and see if they will except him. Ask them about PT/OT being brought in at their facility.
Mom was in rehab for 18 days after a 4 day stay in a hospital. The stay was to get her strength back. With Dementia it was a waste of time and money. I was told she never would walk unassisted. She got back to her AL and was walking all over with her walker.
I was able to get her "in home" therapy at the AL, with Medicare paying, at another time.
The difference between a MC and a LTC/NH/SNF is the care. MCs, as too ALs, are not set up for skilled nursing. At Moms AL they had one RN, one LPN and the rest of the staff were CNAs (not medically trained) and Medtechs (CNAs trained to dispense medications). MCs are set up the same. Both are for assisting only. MC is just a step up from an AL which isn't really set up to care for those who have Dementia even though they have residents in the early stages, And as something like Dementia progress, those in MC may eventually need what a Long term nursing facility requires.
It looks like they are only starting him out with limited PT so I feel that you should be able to bring someone in to handle it.
Insurance may be an issue. Does that make a difference to you?
Speak again to the hospital discharge people and be specific. "I would like Dad to be discharged to Acme Memory Care and have his rehab there. Is this possible? If not, why not and can we solve it?" And don't close the conversation until they've given you sensible answers!
Why are they suggesting long term care? Just for rehab or for a permanent residence?
Tell us a bit more please.
Best wishes to you and your father.
My mom did rehab in her 90’s too but she went much longer than an hour. Is that a starting point or they are sticking with that? Is it PT and OT?