How do you get Mom to the doctor's office?

Babalou, Yah, I wondered about that as I was moving and positioning her during 3 X-rays of her knees on this hard Xray table, what would they do if I wasn't there. Case of me being too helpful. Next time I'm going to do this an easier way.

Sophe; I always ask myself these days (if I find myself in a doctor's office with mom, which is infrequent) "what would they do if I wasn't there?". They must have lots of little old ladies WITHOUT helpful children, don't you think? When the orthopedic surgeon asked at her post-surg appointment "can she stand?", I said "I don't know".

As I said, I have mom transported by ambulette and I have the NH send an aide with her. they keep announcing that they are changing their policy and won't do this anymore, but I am traveling from nearly two hours away and I point out that anything could happen, I really can't guarantee that I'll actually arrive at the doctor's office in time for the appointment. It's not just mom who gets the therapeutic fibbing, I guess.

Reason I'm transporting her is because she is complaining of significant knee pain and falling repeatedly (3x this week). She was on the table to dangle the knees for bilateral knee lubricant injection. I'm trying to keep her in the ALF as long as possible. She's cash pay so the NH will be huge financial outlay. I'm working on changing her over to a Nurse Practitioner who comes in to the facility to provide care on site. They are going to do the blood tests at the ALF; the chest Xray is for heart and potential spinal fracture secondary to the falls. But you guys are completely correct in letting the ALF do more for her. I just didn't think of it. :-) I'm going to talk to them about transporting her next time in their wheelchair bus. I am trying to keep her comfortable and as functional as possible, reduce symptoms.

Sophe, why are you doing this? Assisted Living provides that kind of transportation, all you have to do is meet her there. They even have visiting nurse practitioners, PT,OT and VNA. Save yourself.

Sophe, my mom is in a NH, so most of the medical care she gets comes to her. Even before her dx of dementia, my brothers and I, in conjunction with mom and her geriatric doctors, came up with a plan we called "if you're not going to treat the symptom, don't do the test". We did NOT do a bone marrow biopsy. We did not do followup after several post stroke neurology appts. She has vascular dementia. We know that.

What kinds of appointments are you taking her to? On the rare occasion mom needs out of facility followup, she is taken in an ambulette. She remains in her wheelchair for exams. We were at the pulmonologist, post- hospitalization last year. He said "you could just pop across the street for a chest xray". I paused. Two years ago I would have done damage to my back and knees wheeling mom across the highway to wait an hour for an xray. After my pause, he said, "oh wait, the nh can do the xray there". Yes. Yes they can.

Why on earth would you get your elderly mother up on an examination table she could fall off of? At some point, you have to start asking why you are doing these things. Less is definitely more.