My husband's 86-year-old mom has non-healing lower leg wounds, uses a walker and is weak. After 3 hospital/rehab stays since July, they may send her home from rehab with a wound VAC. Children are rotating through the home to provide care, food, etc. Dad is on a walker and unable to provide help; needs a little help himself. The house is not wheelchair ready, if that becomes a need. Neither parent is wearing a fall alarm. Is the wound VAC in this environment something children (no medical training) can handle? How does a wound VAC change daily care? Ability to bathe and move around? I just have no idea if this is a wise or manageable scenario. Does she need to be in a facility with skilled care?
If your parents are homebound, they would qualify for wound care under Medicare and a nurse will come in to manage the Wound Vac and teach the family.
That said, my last job in my RN career was in Hospice and Home Care and I would not admit into our service any individual or couple who could not manage at home safely. This was always a tough call to make, but there comes a time when a SNF is the only and best option.
Time for a family meeting so that you can collectively prevent them being sent home and force the SW to find placement for them. This seems to be the best option for everyone, esp your dear parents,
It's unbearably difficult and heart breaking to see our beloved parents fail in their wishes to remain at home.
It would definitely be easier to have both parents in an NH of some kind. And BOTH of them should be wearing fall pendants 24/7.
If you decide to bring her home and cycle through family for care, I wish you the best of luck. I know how that worked out for my family. (Didn't). One or two of us were on call all the time and the other sibs were just not on board. What works on 'paper' won't necessarily work in real time.