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After another stay in the hospital, my mom is ready to come home again. I’m leaning towards letting them put her in rehab. Besides getting a much needed break, I know that with me she is going to sleep the day away unless I get her up or actively engage with her. She will be fussy about meals and will decline to exercise. Just wondering if more of those basic things that keep us healthy and mobile are part of daily life at a home. Or is it free will no matter where you’re at? She is routinely dehydrated and gets many UTIs. She’s also a fall risk so needs to keep up her strength to transfer from bed to commode. I often threaten she will need to go into a nursing home if she becomes an invalid.

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You may want to take this opportunity to get her placed in a NH. Where I live, rehab and the NH are in one building so easy to transition over to the NH section.

If they offer rehab, take it. Like said Medicare pays 20 days, after that the next 21 to100 days are 50%. While there have her evaluated for 24/7 care. If they say its needed, then you can decide to place her. Either private pay if she has the assets or with Medicaid paying. Sometimes they are better with strangers than their caregiver,
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Every rehab is unique. If she goes in be certain YOU are a part of the care conferences. The staff will vary. Some are tough and some are gentle. My bro loved the ones who "cracked the whip" because he progressed better. They will not, however, continue to push when the patient is unwilling, or unable to participate and improve. They are the judges of that, and usually good judges at that.
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If she lives in a group situation -- memory care, assisted living, etc. -- they'll have a number of activities for residents to participate in. Rehab doesn't really do that as much, because people are rehabbing from injuries or hospital stays, not "living" there.

A nursing home like those above can't force residents to participate, but if it's a good place, they'll have her in the room with those who are participating even if she declines. Eventually she may choose to join in.

My mother never exercised intentionally in her life, and I was astounded to see her whacking balloons with pool noodles and doing morning stretches with the other residents in her MC. At home, she was waited on hand and foot by my dad and she could easily push back on him, so she never did anything she didn't want to do.

Socializing is as important as exercising, so your mom would benefit from a nursing home no matter how much she resists.
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She's 88 and has a lot of challenges. Please have very tempered expectations for her ability to rehab. I agree with InFamilyService that they can only encourage her (that's how it was with my MIL's experience). Also if she plateaus or regresses in her progress they will decline further rehab for her. Finally, I know you probably didn't mean it literally but resist "threatening" her with a nursing home...you may find her care after rehab isn't what you hoped or expected and more than what you and your spouse can handle and you my need her to go into LTC for everyone's best interests. Just read other posts on this forum of those who have gone before you in this journey.
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If the hospital sends her to rehab, in Florida medicare only pays for 20 days.m

If she is non compliant they will encourage her but cannot force cooperation.

She may do better at home with home health PT and OT.
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