My sister has primary progressive MS and is losing mobility along with function in her left hand due to purpose/essential tremors. We have been waiting over 3 years for SSDI and she is in the final round of appeals - keeps getting denied. A couple of months ago she started falling more and more. Finally, she couldn’t put any weight at all on her right leg without falling, so we made her go to the ER (she kept refusing to go to the doctor) - called an ambulance and everything. Turns out she had 2 fractures in that leg & didn’t know it. She was in the hospital for a couple of days, and then transferred to a skilled nursing facility. Her coverage thru her provider will pay until April 30, then straight Medi-Cal (california’s Medicaid) kicks in for the next 30 days, but she will not receive physical therapy. She is NOT ready to come back here safely and to be honest we’d rather she not come back here at all (for reasons I don’t need to get into here). They want to send her back here with physical therapist & occupational therapist visits, but my husband and I went through all of that with my mother, and we refuse to turn our home into a nursing home again. How do I force the issue to keep her where she is or to send her to an assisted living type place when it is clear she can’t safely care for herself? SSDI approval has been a nightmare and she still has not been approved. She clearly needs help - and it is more help than we can give her. I have not yet asked if they have done a LOC assessment - the SW tried calling me today, but I was at work so I couldn’t talk. I don’t know what our next steps should be. What are her options? She requires more care than we are able or willing to provide at this point, and I need to know what to bring up to the SW when I speak to her.
Have you ever contacted the local office of the MS Society? They may know of resources for your sister.
Is your sister medically qualified for nursing home care? I assume MediCal covers that. What about other kinds of care centers?
What do you say to the discharge social worker?
* I am sorry but we are no longer able to provide care for my sister.
* I couldn't possibly provide this level of care.
* I hope you are able to locate a suitable placement for her. My home is no longer available.
* My husband and I will not consider continuing in a caregiving role.
Etc.
Repeat as necessary. You don't need justifications or explanations. It is your decision and all you have to do is announce it.
Other people on this board have been through similar situations. I hope someone will be along with personal experience.