Hi. Hope someone has advice, because I don't know where to start looking. Little background. My Mother had a stroke in September. She is paralysed on right side, cannot stand without hoist and frame, cannot walk at all, cannot move right arm (thank goodness she's a southpaw). Her language skills are slightly improving, some words, some gestures and some writing to make her needs known. She has a feeding tube, but can and does independently eat some foods, and is double incontinent and has catheter.
She is in a nursing home in Virginia where she is miserable. My younger brother had completed a large bedroom with walkin shower ensuite downstairs in his house in Indiana. He is ready to take Mom in and he, his wife and 2 of his childre (who are adults) are willing to learn nursing care for her from professional care we plan to buy in at first. The nursing home says she is fit to travel, but gives no indication of the length and type she may be able to cope with.
I think overland transport, no matter how comfortable the vehicle will be too much for her. My brother's wife was planning to fly to Mom, get her to commercial flight and bring her to Indiana. I don't think this is doable given all her physical limitations.
Has anyone had experience of interstate transport and the costs? I am afraid it will be terribly prohibitive. Her Virgnia Blue Cross and Shield has been used up by nursing home. We are waiting on medicaid but I doubt they would help with this as we want to move her out of state.
Thoughts?
I would have a concern as well that your brother's family may not realize the complicated task which they are about to undertake. Caring for someone full time is challenging but with stroke and paralysis issues involved, that task becomes much more complicated and demanding.
It's great though that your family plans to learn from professional staff first. That will help them ease into their caregiving tasks.
Back in the late 1990s I did some research and got information on various medical flights in the event that my SnowBird parents needed to come home quickly. You can try Googling "medi flights" and contact the various providers. As I recall, Angel Flights was one of the ones on which I collected information.
During your research, you'll learn about what the charges are and other relevant factors so you can create a checklist to use for comparison and help in selecting a service. If I recall correctly you're in England, so your brother's family will probably have to do the calling and information gathering. But it will help them in learning how to be prepared not only for the trip but the actual caregiving as well.
I honestly don't know of any financial support, but I also haven't checked out that issue. You might ask the social worker at the Virginia nursing home to assist you on this aspect. Or perhaps your brother's family could do the research.
Contact stroke support groups might help as well. The Rehab Institute of Michigan has for years offered stroke support in the form of therapy and occasional classes. My experience was that the therapists who worked there were very knowledgeable and helpful, beyond merely the scope of OT and PT.
However, that entire hospital system has been sold twice and is now being run by a for profit company, so some of their free community outreach efforts might have been eliminated.
There might also be a national stroke support group that could offer some insight on inter state transportation.
I believe also that she will have to be qualified by Indiana Medicaid once she arrives there.
I do think though that overland transportation would be difficult and uncomfortable. The trip might be doable in one day, but it would be stressful, probably on the transport people as well as your mother.
IF mom spends the majority of her day seated now it makes little difference whether in a car seat or her own special wheelchair in an accessible van.
IF mom is cognitively fine, able to consent and willing to put up with the hardship
IF you are able to plan a route with stops that include accessible restrooms and dining facilities.
Forget the commercial flight for Mom, there is no way a commercial carrier would want to be responsible for someone in your Mom's medical condition. The airlines are not equip to handle those types of medical conditions. In another post you wrote, you mentioned that your Mom is thinking other people are harming her, I wouldn't be surprised if she would have the same episodes on the commercial flight airplane.
As GardenArtist had mentioned above, a medi-flight would be the best thing for her, but it would be costly as medical personnel would be needed throughout the flight. Another suggestion if your Mom is able to sit in a wheelchair, there are medical mini-van taxis that will do transporting. Again, it would be expensive. And I don't know if they supply medical staff on the trip.
I think overland is the way to go providing it is a smooth ride, comfortable gurney and well staffed. I am still searching and trying to figure out how we can fund it.
1. Original post here:
"She is in a nursing home in Virginia where she is miserable."
Follow-up post:
"She has indicated that she is enjoying activities at the home".
At least she's not miserable all of the time.
Has anyone tried to address the issue of her fears as you wrote about in your other post? It would certainly be cheaper to keep her where she is, and it might work out in such a way that she's happier than she is now. It seems the dissatisfaction turns on her fears and the staff who are causing her problems.
2. It seems as though you've already decided not to move her by air. But financial support still seems to be an issue. If you're going to move her by land, I think Pam's idea is a good one. I'm sure though that Pam didn't get any financial support.
I think though that you're going to have to reconcile yourself to paying for this move with funds that your family has.
Anyway she was contented until the moved her and now she is not.
I've decided as this is making me more ill (stress is not good for autoimmune diseases) that I will use up my little savings and disability living allowance to pay for overland professional transport. It will set my mind at ease re her safety and comfort. I've contacted her church in hopes they may send more visitors and discourage further abuse.