Re: Lost on what to do!

[Guest guest]

,

I would try to move her closer to you. This place doesn’t sound very good and

you won’t get a moments peace if you know she is to be there full-time. My

heart goes out to those who are stuck there.

From: choir39@...

Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 6:54 AM

To: LBDcaregivers

Subject: Lost on what to do!

My mom has just moved into her third facility in a year.We finally thought this

was the place since it would take medicade when her money ran out,which is in

about 6 months.This move was very hard being there is a lot more memory care

patients and is further for me to get to. She recently got a cold that turned

into pink eye and she was put in the nursing home part of the facility so she

woudn't contaminate anyone. The care has not been great up there. Now what! Do

we move her again since that was going to be where she will end up? Another move

will deteriorate her . But i feel I need to be closer to her. Not a lot of

options near me. I live in Crystal Lake Il . Does anyone know of a good facility

close by. Or do I just leave her where she is . Help!It is breaking my heart.

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

I am sorry to hear of your dilemma with your Mom. The sad truth of the

matter is that since you know very well that she will soon be on state

Medicaid, you really need to have her in a snf that takes Medicaid funding.

Are there any places that take Medicaid that are any better closer to you?

You need to research that and visit all that are closer to you to make an

informed decision. Otherwise you will have to move her twice more in

matter of a few months to a Medicaid facility. At this time you should go

to see her as often as possible and be her advocate for better care in the

home where she is now. Are you working with a social worker on the matter

of finding her a better place that will accept Medicaid?

Best Wishes,

Pat M.

58 Wife/caregiver of Bob, 75 dx 2003 PD, LBD 2009

>

>

> ,

>

> I would try to move her closer to you. This place doesn’t sound very good

> and you won’t get a moments peace if you know she is to be there full-time.

> My heart goes out to those who are stuck there.

>

> From: choir39@...

> Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 6:54 AM

> To: LBDcaregivers

> Subject: Lost on what to do!

>

>

> My mom has just moved into her third facility in a year.We finally thought

> this was the place since it would take medicade when her money ran

> out,which is in about 6 months.This move was very hard being there is a lot

> more memory care patients and is further for me to get to. She recently got

> a cold that turned into pink eye and she was put in the nursing home part

> of the facility so she woudn't contaminate anyone. The care has not been

> great up there. Now what! Do we move her again since that was going to be

> where she will end up? Another move will deteriorate her . But i feel I

> need to be closer to her. Not a lot of options near me. I live in Crystal

> Lake Il . Does anyone know of a good facility close by. Or do I just leave

> her where she is . Help!It is breaking my heart.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I didn't move my Mom in time and once on Medicaid you will have a hard time

moving her.  The only blessing I had was she was close enough to get to her

when I needed.  It wasn't a good place to have her but I couldn't get her moved

once on Medicaid.  Every place keeps their Medicaid beds for their own patients

who are paying.

 

Just my thoughts .

 

Hugs,

 

Donna R

[ LBDcaregivers ] Lost on what to do!

 

My mom has just moved into her third facility in a year.We finally thought this

was the place since it would take medicade when her money ran out,which is in

about 6 months.This move was very hard being there is a lot more memory care

patients and is further for me to get to. She recently got a cold that turned

into pink eye and she was put in the nursing home part of the facility so she

woudn't contaminate anyone. The care has not been great up there. Now what! Do

we move her again since that was going to be where she will end up? Another move

will deteriorate her . But i feel I need to be closer to her. Not a lot of

options near me. I live in Crystal Lake Il . Does anyone know of a good facility

close by. Or do I just leave her where she is . Help!It is breaking my heart.

[Guest guest]

,

If you haven't looked already, check the Medicare.gov site for ratings of

nursing homes. Click on " Facilities & Doctors " then on " Compare Nursing

Homes. " These ratings are based on yearly inspections by state agencies.

I was recently interviewed (random selection) during one. The inspection

was extremely thorough and took a week.

What I looked at was staff to patient ratio and the overall quality

checks. But look under the columns that mean the most to you. The ratings

also tell you whether they take Medicare or Medicaid or both. But I'd call

after looking at the payment type because a lot of the more expensive

places say they take Medicaid, but then they only take one or two patients,

who usually turn out to be people who had been there on private pay and

their money ran out. You may need to wait for a space at places with the

best ratings, but even that can be gotten around by hospital or other

social workers who indicate that it is a desperate situation.

It is actually a good thing when an SNF will move a resident with something

like pink eye to a unit that deals with infectious situations. It is for

the safety of the other residents and also gets that resident to a unit

(temporarily) that can help clear the infection up more quickly than others

can. In my mom's SNF, nurses, aides, etc, tend to specialize in the type

of care they handle and people who work with infections daily are more

likely to be cautious about the care of infection, clearing it up and

keeping it from spreading. (On the dementia unit, they specialize in

figuring out what a resident, who can't tell them what is wrong, really

needs and in lots of hugs, which I really appreciate.)

If you can make a move to someplace closer, it might help. There is no

substitute for frequent visits and building a relationship with the staff

and management of the SNF. But try to make this the last move. Talk about

your concerns with the SNF representatives before moving your mom there -

about how you need her cared for. Just because she is on Medicaid, or

close to it, doesn't mean she should be treated any differently from other

residents or that you can't be actively involved in her care and the

management of that care.

I have learned that, if things are bumpy at the SNF at first, they can be

worked out in most situations. I correspond regularly with the Nursing

Director at the SNF and spend a lot of time talking about mom's care with

the nurses and aides. They treat her so well that Mom is sometimes more

comfortable with them than with me. I think that, in her mind, she has

adopted one or two of the aides.

BTW, if you think your mom is 6 months from Medicaid, start the process

now. Contact county social services for help. I filed Mom's paperwork in

December and got her approval in April. The SNF was kind enough to wait

for all of this to happen for payment. They did their own calculations of

what mom's contribution (out of her Social Security check) would be and

waited for the rest, as it was obvious that she would be approved. But

start now. It's a long process.

Kathy

> **

>

>

> My mom has just moved into her third facility in a year.We finally thought

> this was the place since it would take medicade when her money ran

> out,which is in about 6 months.This move was very hard being there is a lot

> more memory care patients and is further for me to get to. She recently got

> a cold that turned into pink eye and she was put in the nursing home part

> of the facility so she woudn't contaminate anyone. The care has not been

> great up there. Now what! Do we move her again since that was going to be

> where she will end up? Another move will deteriorate her . But i feel I

> need to be closer to her. Not a lot of options near me. I live in Crystal

> Lake Il . Does anyone know of a good facility close by. Or do I just leave

> her where she is . Help!It is breaking my heart.

>

>

>

--

Kate Knapp, OIT

University of Minnesota

" We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and

fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? Playing small does not serve

the world. "

- Mandela