Don't Lose Heart

I want to inform caregivers not to be intimidated by the Medicare system and hospital discharge process. As a former hospice nurse and a discharger planner please ask questions.

My Mother-in-law recently encountered a very difficult situation with caring for her sister. Aunt Jean was discharged from the hospital on Sunday evening with a foley catheter in-place and unable to even walk to the car. She was admitted for kidney stones and was leaving the hospital with a possible cancer of the bladder diagnosis after a laproscopic precedure. Aunt Jean is 82 not in the best of health to begin with and after 6 days of complete bedrest was exiled from the hospital to be cared for by my 74 year old mother-in-law. Carol my (mother-in-law) is a good 74 years young but not equipped to know what to do. The family lives in VA, we are here in NJ so assiting them is by phone.

Aunt Jean was discharged with no plan for her care. Medicare allows a visiting nurse to be ordered for patients requiring extended care. Hospitalizations for the elderly allow for rehab short-term or the visiting nurse. Neither was ordered. I advised Carol to call the hospital and speak to the nursing supervisior to assist with this. Fortunately the situation was remedied and the attending called the family to appologize for not ordering the necessary services.

The nurses who discharge patients especially on weekends may not be aware (should be) of arrangements the family has made, but they should inquire. When someone is being sent home with skilled care needs there needs to be instructions and a source for them to call or access the public health system. Caregivers need to speak up and request help, the burden is so heavy especially for those not aware of the benefits that are available to them.

Sue