Mom Fell, In Florida .....

[1kzwoman]

If I may suggest, be sure she is doing breathing exercises. It is common to pull rib muscles with a fall in elderly people. Often they compensate for pain by shallow breathing leading to pneumonia.
Hopefully her medical team has already addressed this.
Wishing both of you the best

 

[BrotherBart]

Better you have control than finding out the second in-laws kids wiped out all the cash holdings

Happened before I got called in and threw on the brakes.

 

[Dix]

Well, just got off the phone with Mah. She sounded MUCH better. When we were talking about the pollen up here (and she advised that it would be better to put the AC'S in sooner than later, so they can filter the air . In my head, I'm like "really? like you didn't teach me this chit years ago??" ) I got the "tone" but not the "strength" of her calling me into dinner, which used to echo across "the Lot" back when I was a kid in Panamoka.

She said she is going home soon, and is willing to have a home health aid come in and check on her (covered by well care).

Will wait for updates from the Docs !

 

[BrotherBart]

Glad she is doing well Dix.

 

[firebroad]

Good luck, Eileen! I have been through a similar, with my Father. Patience is the watchword of the day, for everyone involved.
Just remember, I'm pulling for ya, we're all in this together...

 

[Dix]

Thanks Sue !

Been talking to Mom every night. She's doing better. She'll be going home in a few days, with my Uncles keeping an eye on her. They are having some serious storms down in FLA, so her escape has been delayed for a few days, much to her chagrin.

She'll be having aides & nurses come in, and we'll see what happens, and take it from there.

 

[valley ranch]

Good that she's getting better. Thumbs up.

 

[Dix]

She's home, and sounding much better. Seems she was on the floor for atleast 2 days..So serious muscle trauma, dehydration, etc.

She's happy, her dog is home, and one of my Uncles is staying with her, along with visiting nurses, etc. Seems Florida's WellCare is pretty awesome (*** danger, danger, warning, warning .... if anyone turns this into a political discussion, I will first cut your heart out with a spoon, and then leave you to the mercy of the Mods**)

We're going to see how it goes. NY's senior care is not on par with Florida's.

But she's doing much better for 81.

I thank you all for your thoughts & well wishes !!

 

[begreen]

Good to hear she is recovering and being looked after Dix. FWIW, my mom moved back to NY to live with my sister and previously had been in FL. We found NY to be pretty good for care. You need to make the system work for her but we were impressed at the quality of care she received for bones broken after a fall and other complications as she got older. The EPIC system worked and we were able to find high quality doctors and facilities when needed. Her last couple years were spent in a nursing home in Somers, NY that provided good care.

 

[Bobbin]

I have found it interesting that as more and more middle aged people are providing care for ageing/infirm parents the nature of available services has changed in response. When I was doing it finding and accessing assistance was more difficult than it is now. I'm glad to see changes have been made. Keeping people in their homes/with their families as long as is possible is crucial to maintaining the well being of the person in question. I am glad to read your good news, Dixie. A family willing to "circle the wagons" is an asset of inestimable value.

Our experience with the nursing home was a complete horror, as was the second rehabilitation facility (she'd had a stroke and the first place was fabulous). I have nothing positive to share about either of those two places; in fact, the experience was searing. It filled me with revulsion and left me seriously shaken about what is to come for me, the good man, and others I love. I truly hope things continue to change in the years to come.

 

[firebroad]

It is always better if you can stay in your own home. A lot of states have visiting nurses/helpers that will check on people daily. Here in Maryland they encourage it, as assisted living facilities are horribly expensive.
Two days on the floor! How awful. I am glad she is back on the mend.

 

[begreen]

Bobbin, sorry for your bad experience. We were fortunate to be able to keep mom at home with family until she was 98. At that point she was quite frail and needed 24/7 care. We took a long time investigating and researching both rehab and nursing home facilities, followed by visits and interviews before making the decision. Luckily Westchester and Putnam counties had some good choices for us.

Taking a pro-active stance early on, before problems happened really helped us make informed choices when they were necessary. Unless your parent is like my wife's grandmother who never saw a doctor until she was 97, at some point they will need hospital and maybe rehab care. Eventually they may need fulltime nursing home care. It may not be desired, but there are times and cases where it is the best option. The internet has helped a lot in researching facilities. That's a good place to start, then follow up with visits to prime candidates and see if you can get references.

 

[Flatbedford]

Her last couple years were spent in a nursing home in Somers, NY that provided good care.

That's the town I grew up in. I assume it was the place on RT100. It was called Somers Manor when I was a kid. Maybe the name has changed?

 

[begreen]

Yes, that sounds right.

 

[Bobbin]

For us, the issue wasn't money. She had the funds to pay for the nursing home. It was the basic care (lack thereof); slack attention to proper hygiene and sanitary practices. And the fact that Mum's clothing seemed to vanish as quickly as a fart in a stout breeze (no one ever quite knew where or how it "got lost"). When her body was removed the bracelet she'd cherished for years was "missing". The value wasn't the issue, the fact that it was stolen was! What sickened me most was the realization that I'd never done a complete inventory of her "personal property" (who knew her clothing would be stolen? or that divesting her of jewellery she'd worn for years would be a necessary precaution against theft?), and I was thankful no one there had the cheek to steal her wedding ring and a ring she'd received for her 16th. birthday (I wear them now). It's been 7 years and the indignity still makes the bile rise in my throat.

Document EVERYTHING; every pair of underpants, every shirt, pair of slacks, etc.. And insist that the intake nurse signs off on the inventory and that anything to be "discarded" is returned to you! Be a ball-buster on this. Trust me. And if your loved one is frail and dependent on proper hygiene (urostomy/colostomy)... show up when they least expect you. They'll promise you the sun, the moon, and the stars, but the practical reality is the person dealing with the ostomies has nary a clue about how to do it properly. I learned how... and it wasn't hard (I did it for close to 4 yrs. with no infections), but attention to proper hygienic detail was crucial. And it was the very thing most lacking whenever "I popped in". No one paid scant attention when I'd raise concerns... "our staff is professionally trained". Yeah, right. And that's why she died of a urinary tract infection? Most inmates die from opportunistic/easily prevented infections that run amok... . Trust me on this.

 

[Flatbedford]

Bobbin, Sorry you had such a terrible experience.

 

[begreen]

Yes, that sounds like a terrible experience. There are nursing and rehab home rating services that track this stuff now. They are not perfect, but the info helps.

http://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/nursing/
http://health.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes/area/ny

 

[Lake Girl]

Glad to hear your Mom is mending Dixie ... Hope she's as tough as Great Gram Catherine, hit by a city bus in her 80s and had both hips broken - lived to 103!

Canada (Ontario at least) seems to be a bit more progressive as far as elder care - tax breaks and wage insurance for taking time off to care for family members. Home care is always a preferred option as our elders are best served by being at home or with family members. Home health care is a cheaper option (for government insurance here).

 

[BrotherBart]

The value wasn't the issue, the fact that it was stolen was!

Had this problem at the home Mom was in. Turns out she was as bad as the rest. The staff call it "shopping". Her stuff was disappearing and stuff that wasn't her's showed up in her room. They said it is common with folks with dementia.