We live in the mountains where there are bears and wolves. He has gone outside in the winter with just underwear and a shirt on. He needs care in a nursing home. We have been doing the feedings, meds, etc. The chemotherapy is killing him faster than the cancer, so we have stopped it. He has fallen several times and once stopped breathing. We took him by ambulance to the hospital. Humana is refusing to approve skilled care in a home even though the doctor told him without the IV and feeding tube 24/7, he will die. Humana says it is not skilled care and will not approve him for a home. An appeal will take forever. He doesn’t have that time. What can we do? He has no money.
The dad and family want him to be alive with his present interventions. The fastest way to accomplish this fastest is to call 911 and claim shortness of breath, sweaty, confusion. That’ll get an ambulance there to take him with his feeding tube and iv, and have him stabilized in er with whatever’s going on with the Iv and tube.
And meanwhile, you tell them that he won’t be coming home with you. Just keep saying unsafe discharge.
The hosp will have to keep him stabilized until they can transfer him to an snf that can do that. Let those entities deal with the insurance once they have him living there. If that doesn’t work, be prepared to private pay for the duration he is there assuming he isn’t Medicaid.
Stop wasting energy fighting with Humana. That's not what insurance pays for. Don't appeal. Does he have no money and no assets?
Sorry you are in this difficult situation.
Sounds like to me Dad needs Hospice care. I think your best bet would be talking to Medicaid and getting him into a SNF under Hospice care. I think you may have to except that Dad is dying.
You could call his doctor and ask if its possible to get in home care with Medicare paying for it since an IV is involved.
Problem with Health insurance companies if they think a family member can do it, they won't pay. No, I would not want to be responsible for a feeding tube but there are members on this forum I am sure have done it. IV is a different thing but then maybe its just changing bags.
Just curious, if Dad needed this care, why was he not just transfered from the Hospital to a SNF and Medicaid started. A SW could have worked with you.
Why are you fighting to keep someone so compromised alive? Does he have ANY quality of life? I think at this stage, I might opt for comfort care and some good, pain-free time with friends and family before a peaceful passing.
I hope that doesn't come across as cold or unfeeling--it's not meant to be. But at some point, ask yourselves what you are saving him from.