My 95 year old dad is extremely weak and falls often. He has been pretty much bedridden for a week after falling. ER sent him home and he stubbornly walked upstairs to his bedroom.
He is on the 2nd floor and we have no way of getting him downstairs. His doctors tell me to bring him into office or they can't sign off on home health care. I tell them he is unable to get there and all they say is call when things have changed.
They offer no suggestions on who I can call for transportation assistance.
Thanks.
As a hospice nurse I ran into that problem several times. Two old ladies ( the wife and I ) could not move that 200 lbs of flab anywhere so I would call the non emergency 911 number explain the situation and help was on the way. I even called the police dept a couple of times to see if they had a key to an apartment building. They did not but the fire dept did. I had to get pretty creative at times. I even had the phone numbers of all the local highway debts and was not shy at calling them out in the middle of the night to snow plow.
Shame on the Dr for not helping you solve this. if you have to go the 911 route and he goes to the ER check before hand that the NH bedis still available and obtain the paperwork a Dr has to sign off on and insist the ER Dr signs off and refuse to take the old man home with you and only agree to a transfer to the NH with transportation. They will probably agree if you stand your ground which won't be easy otherwise they will be blocking one of their own precious beds. Anyone who has been left in an ER bed for 10-12 hours waiting for a bed will understand where I am coming from. If you have another fierce adult take them with you. I would recommend Jeannie, CM, Pam Stegma, Phoenix, or Golden and probably many others to help.
You can of course call 911 but they will transport to the ER only. And many 911 services these days charge the patient if what they were called for was not an emergency.
Best bet is a private pay ambulance service. Hospice is an option but a physican must write that order as well. Does your father have a good relationship Witt his PCP? If the doc is aware of your dad's decline he may just order Hospice after having a hospice nurse come out and do an assessment.
If possible can you try to move his room downstairs? I'd be worried he may fall if no one is there with him 24/7.
Good luck!