By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or
[email protected] to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our
Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our
Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
For the present moment, call mom's PCP for immediate advice about her condition worsening, and see what's suggested for rehab?
For the long term, you really need to consider placing both of your parents in long term care now, together...........they both require a level of care that you're unable to provide for them as at least your mom needs 24/7 caregiving. I don't know what condition your dad is in, but Parkinsons Disease often reaches the point where 24/7 care is also required. In home care is often not feasible for two parents with this level of need, with you working, and also having children who require your attention. It's too much. I had to oversee my parents care in Assisted Living (and then Memory Care) and it was almost a full time job, in and of itself! It went on for 10.5 years, too, and took all of my strength to manage. If I tried to do it in home, it would have literally killed me.
Wishing you the best of luck with all you have on your plate.
The next time she is hospitalized, you start working with the discharge planner on Day 1. You tell them " no, she cannot return to our home; it would be an unsafe discharge."
Start with your primary care doctor or maybe even the orthopedist, especially if they have a social worker to see if they can help get her admitted. If not, contact Medicare ASAP and appeal that she was discharged too soon. I would hope someone there would look at a knee replacement followed that soon with another fall resulting in a cracked pelvis would warrant an appeal that she had not totally recovered. Rehab is less expensive than hospitalizations for repeated falls. The least I would hope for is some kind of home health since she obviously can't leave your home. I'm thinking time would probably be of essence so work as fast as you can to call everyone you can to try and get her case evaluated. I think some issues need to be addressed within 30 days.
If perhaps your father is a veteran, at least check into benefits such as respite care for your father (I get 14 hours a week) and aid and attendance for your father and spousal aid and attendance for your mother.
My heart goes out to you as your plate is flooding over.
you but a year or so ago my Mom fell broke her wrist and cracked her pelvis. She went to rehab for about two weeks after hospital. They had her up using a walker. I went into rehab before her discharge and was shown what she could do/couldn’t do etc. by the PT. The PT told me that if my Mom stayed in bed she’d never walk again. She needed to be up and moving every day. I bought Mom home, she did at home therapy and in 12 weeks she was healed. A year later she broke her hip and same story there. Hospital, rehab, home with at home therapy. I cannot imagine her coming straight home after either of these injuries. I would definitely contact her primary doctor and/or her orthopedic doctor. In my opinion she needs therapy. Best of luck to you!
Is there some way for her to private pay for NH care until the fracture heals?
Have you ever consulted an eldercare attorney about Medicaid?
Your parents' needs clearly outstrip the resources available at your home.
You may need to have a tough conversation with them about the fact that you can no longer do this.
Alternatively, some folks take a "therapeutic fib" route-- we're going on vacation, the house needs to be fumigation, it's temporary for a month, for the winter-- and get their parents into care that way.
For me, we can only get PT at home if we have not gone to an office for PT for the same "illness". Once PT comes to the home, the first thing they will do will evaluate her. Don't expect much from the first session for her. However, from that first session, they should be able to tell you what they they can do and what she is capable of.
P.S. Walking in this case, means walking with a device like a walker or a rollator.
P.P.S. In my case, my Mom refused to do the exercises on her own. Hence, I worked with the PT to figure out what kind of interactive exercises we could do together. Doing exercises together helps you get stronger too.
Emergency or Acute care is just that. It is not recovery care for the time it takes broken bones to heal.
Treatment for # pelvis is usually conservative management - meaning CAN move & walk as tolerated. Bones will heal in time. (But due to pain/fear/fralility many will stay in bed).
Once healed, physio may be useful. Often done as outpatient in community (or in-home if insured for).
If unable to self-care at home, then stay with informal carers (ie family/friends). If none available, then inpatient formal care instead (may be called respite care or skilled nursing where you live). Then, once bones healed, either inpatient rehab or direct home.
For your situation right now: You weren't to know this would be too much. But if it is, speak to Mom's Doctor & arrange a new plan asap.
Where is her primary care physician in all of this? What does he suggest you do?
Is she well enough to tell you her side of the story as to why she didn't want to go to inpatient recovery? Could she have misinterpreted a question someone was asking her?
One option is to take her to the Emergency Room of a hospital. Tell them what happened and that she no longer can leave the bed and that you want to know why. If she gets admitted, make sure that she is not admitted with "observation status". Medicare will NOT pay for "observation". Otherwise, Medicare will pay for some number of days with 0 co-pay.
Come up with a care plan for your mother with the social worker at the hospital. It might include some time in a SNF. I believe Medicare will pay some amount for care at home if she opts not to go to a SNF and still needs medical care.
At this point, it doesn't matter if she insisted on going home or not. You need to deal with how she is now and what future action needs to be taken. The ER has all the records from the previous visit. At the ER reception area, make sure that they have all the approvals they need to share her medical information with you.
As a caution: There are a lot of confusing, contradicting names of medical facilities. Emergency Care at an Urgent Care Center is NOT the same as an Emergency Room in a hospital. In addition, ensure that wherever you go, they accept your Mom's insurance. Not all places do, even though they have an area called "Emergency".
See All Answers