My FIL had four strokes in Sept.of last yr.He has had pneumonia and staph infections in his lungs. We know he needs PT,OT,&SP but not in a nursing home. They leave him in soiled clothing for an hr.or more,over feed him w/a feeding tube until he vomits, and becomes ill, and with the staph his immune system is compromised. We want him home and have things worked out but the doctor doesn't want to release to us. If he says no and we say YES will Medicare drop out of the in home care bill?
I've never heard of a doctor being in control like this. If a family wants an elderly person home, especially a family member, then that's how it should be. How can a doctor stop you from taking him unless HE has POA?
Anyone? I don't get this. We need more info. Who decided he was to be placed in the NH? Wouldn't that have been a family decision rather than a doctor's? At the very least, find a new one.
Instead, I would work out the problems with nursing care with the nurses.
Somehow I think you may be in denial as to how sick he really is. I don't know of any doctor who would keep a patient in a NH without a really good reason.
Your grief may be working against your better judgment.
It sounds to me like they are trying to stabilize him to history chart him to do a hospice evaluation that he can pass. Hospice could possibly be done @ home but realize that hospice means palliative or "comfort" care only. If he has C Diff or MRSA, some hospice providers will not service a patient who has these infections as it is just too risky. With hospice, there are no more hospitalizations, or runs to the ER or doctors visits that could be to cure him or make him well. If you do that, Medicare will dis-enroll him from hospice and Medicare will not pay for any of those medical costs. Hospice has very specific rules which have to be complied with. If you don't, you all will be billed and expected to private pay and it will be horrendously expensive. Not meaning to be harsh, but you need a reality check on how ill he really is. It sounds like you have just too antagonistic of a relationship with the MD, so I would suggest you speak with the social worker and the DON - director of nursing - at the facility as to the reality of his situation.