He is 94 and put in rehab from hospital so that he can gain his strength back and walk with a walker. He will be moving in with me and my husband. He only has PT five days a week and will just sit around for the weekend. I can’t visit him (COVID 19) and the weekend staff is less than attentive. I’d like to bring him home and have home health PT. What are my rights?
Will dad comply with YOUR requests to get up and exercise? MOst of us find that our parents do better in rehab centers where there is a certain amount of competition among patients. They come home and ....What do their kids know about exercise? They stop.
I would not be so quick to bring him home.
My mom would have some surgery, come home, do the PT that an in home PT would do with her and once her benefits ran out, she never picked up a stretch band or hand weight again.
If things are going well now--why mess with a good thing?
Good luck!
What's his mobility right now?
I hate to be negative but I mention this personal issue for your Father's dignity: toileting. Unless he can walk/wheelchair to the toilet independantly he is going to need someone on call. (Or help changing depends at regular times).
If you want hope of ever bringing him home, you will leave him where he is and let the pros, with some level of authority, work with him. They will be much more successful than you in gaining his cooperation.
By any chance, are you feeling guilty that you are not able to do more? Many do. But, you are doing the right thing by making sure dad gets the care he needs in order to possibly be discharged.
He is not in prison and has a right to be discharged. His bills will be paid by Medicare up to the point he is discharged so don't let them tell u otherwise.
When Mom was in the last time, I told admitting that there was no money passed the 20 days that Medicare pays 100% so make PT aware of that. She was discharged at 18 days. I wish I had done it sooner. She had Dementia and was so unhappy and confused.