Reading this forum (and follow-up research) leads me to believe that even though my mother doesn't qualify for skilled nursing rehab, she does qualify for inpatient rehab (and Medicare will pay).
The question is whether I should do it. She is 82 and has Parkinson's and has been living alone with my Dad. He is a subpar caregiver and she has truly gone downhill in the last year. (Could not get her/them to go to retirement community/assisted living.)
Because she's in rough shape now, she cannot go to an assisted living spot. She needs too much assistance.
Theory #1: If she goes to an inpatient rehab facility, she will regain enough strength/ability to transfer to assisted living where she can enjoy a few more good years.
Theory #2: Inpatient rehab will be torture and I should just find her a nursing home now.
Would love to hear the wisdom of the group.
At home Medicare will pay for PT, OT, 24 hr nurse on call and bath aid.
That's fine as long as some one can fix food and you are able to take care of your own bathroom needs.
NH you are treated just like one of the residents especially if you fit into the geriatric category and it is assumed your mind has also gone along with your body.
The food naturally is not good but you can have stuff brought in.
Requests to have your meds crushed and syringed through your feeding tube result in being handed a gritty mess of apple sauce. "Oh dear did I leave some bones in" as I coughed my way out of aspiration. "No your wound does not stink it's not draining, it's healing up nicely"
All I can say is look very carefully at any rehab facility you plan to place your loved one in. Seeing residents asleep in their wheelchairs in the front hall is a definite turn off. Don't expect to see a Dr very often. My initial experience was the Dr comming into the room, announcing his name and shaking my had. That was his examination and I never saw him again.
Once I rattled a few cages I did get the rehab hours that were prescribed.
The environment at an AL is almost always a more engaged lifestyle than a SNF. If the first AL that assesses her says no, try another. They make their judgements based upon staffing and their own internal policies. You may get a different answer at another community.
I would like to pass on a piece of advice that has helped me through decisions like yours. A friend told me, "You don't have to make a decision for what is best for the rest of her life. You just have to make the decision of what is best for right now." I hope this helps.
The one thing you will find out is how far along Mom is. Will she plateau early? Meaning there is nothing they can do. That will help make the decision where to place her. Hopefully you will find that living with Dad there is no stimuli and she will, do better in an AL.