We realized very quickly that the rehab had horrifying conditions at night. We still let her stay because we were threatened by numerous staff that leaving would open her to not having the stay covered by Medicare. Also, the therapies during the day were excellent. If we could have, we would have driven her for the therapies during the day and brought her home for the night. She lasted two nights, with no sleep either night. We stayed with her both nights. The conditions were terrible at night: people screaming at nurses, adult children yelling at a nurse, nurses sleeping in the hallway, six televisions blaring until the morning, constant stream of people in the room. No sleep either night. She doesn't remember any of it. I took her home and then to her primary care physician and a couple of other specialists for follow up. What are your experiences? Is there something else I should do to make sure she gets reimbursed for this hellish stay and also make sure her complaint is registered and heard and perhaps some changes are made by the facility for the next person to arrive there?
Usually when one is in a hospital, the discharge nurse tries to find "an open bed" thus Mom would be sent to that rehab center. Insurance companies want patients out of the hospital ASAP, no sitting back waiting for another rehab to have an open bed.
You can look for a new place on your own but would need an doctor's orders to get in. To transport your Mom to the new rehab, the cost would not be paid by Medicare [they only pay to the first rehab]. Hopefully she can ride in a car.
Hope you find a new place that is a lot quieter.
This could be seriously a huge amount of $$$ that debt collection can go after BUT more importantly limit her ability for future care. With electronic medical records it's all there & eventually will surface.
She's going to code up as non-compliant for care. Her GPs assessment will be totally overridden by the hospitalists, PT, OT other rehab professionals documentation in her health chart. I'd bet a case of prosecco that there's an AMA earmark on her health history for the day when she is re-hospitalized. AMA can be a redflag for APS to look into. She or you, if DPOA, had better to a very detailed specific timeline of her stay at the facility & why you know & can evaluate her careneeds better than hospital / rehab staff to have on hand if APS enters moms life. "Noisy at night" isn't going to cut it, if APS gets involved.
Blessings,
Jamie
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