Hi all, my mother really needs more medical supervision - she still lives alone but barely - someone to monitor whether she's taking her medications (she refuses to allow family to do this), someone to check her blood sugar and blood pressure regularly as she doesn't really do so and lies to her doctor about the values. She had a nurse come in regularly after her last hospitalization for about eight weeks and was then "discharged" and has been on her own ever since. I know the day is coming soon when she can't live alone, but in the meantime is there any way to get a visiting nurse back in there on a regular basis that Medicare pays for?
2) Can Mom afford services over and above what Medicare covers?
3) Is Mom eligible for any social services or for Medicaid?
Sorry to answer with questions, but responders here may be better able to give specific answers if we know a few details.
LadeeC, so if I read you right the nursing visits don't have to be limited duration...good to know! She also improved when she had in-home PT, but she graduated from that too and left to her own devices declined again. The doc has ordered that restarted though.
And talk to your mom some more and figure out her angles: is she too proud to admit she's declining? Perhaps you can suggest that she's worked hard all her life and deserves a break. Or if she likes the idea of someone else picking up the tab? When you do talk to the doc, you might suggest the nurse come for further evaluation, that you're concerned with an onset of dementia, that living alone may be a greater challenge, but it needs to be seen/recorded by a trained observer.
However, before you do, if you don't already have someone in the family with MPOA/DPOA do it NOW. Before she's evaluated and determined to no longer have the faculties to make her own informed decisions. I'm sure you'd rather not go down the road of getting guardianship through the courts.
If the doctor is not cooperative, and doesn't have your mother's permission to discuss her condition with you (HIPAA laws, and all that), then you might need to get your local agency on aging/adult protective services involved.
Keep us posted, please feel free to come vent and get support. That's why we're here.
I can't believe how completely unhelpful my mothers Dr. has been on this.
After her last stroke she can't walk anymore, but how did he not see that cutting her off from her PT only made her fall more ultimately costing the system more?ANd after this last stroke her refused to write a recommendation for PT again. Oh this Dr. is a long story for another thread, but I am going to print this case out for him! He can't resent me much more than he already does! LOL.
And, uh .. you don't really wanna get me started on the whole western medicine thing. *koffs*
Did he read the PDF? I doubt it.
I would change doctors, but I have to realize that in some places, you have to deal with the available doctor even if he's a jerk.