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My grandma has been in rehab for around 3 weeks now. I think her hospital stay was around 1 week.
She went in for shortness of breath and swelling. This left her unable to walk. Her diagnosis was something with her liver. She is also requires a catheter.
Rehab plans to release her in a couple of days. She still is unable to walk and needs assistance. I don't think my mom can care for in this state. I asked to have my grandma's stay extended, but I was told she would have to transition to long term care if my mom could not take care of her. All she needs to be able to do is walk again. That is the main issue.
I'm worried she will have to be brought right back to the hospital. I don't want to subject her to that given the current issues with the virus.
Is there a way to get her time extended? Would calling her primary doctor or the doctor overseeing her in rehab help? I don't think they realize she was able to do so much prior to being hospitalized.

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I was told just to get your strength back after a short hospital stay that is 3 days for everyday in the hospital. Thats 15 days for GMom. She has been there almost another week. This hospital stay may have been a turning point for grandma. Rehab has found she is not improving with therapy. She has hit a plateau. Meaning, no amount of therapy is going to help her walk. Medicare has told them they won't pay for any more therapy. So she gets discharged.

Now comes the decision...can Mom care for Grandmom if she is not able to do for herself. If not, then LTC is ur next option. If Gmom can't afford to private pay, then Mom can apply for Medicaid.
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There is not really criteria for discharge. There is criteria for staying with Medicare paying. She would have to continue to improve and work at her therapy.

Discharged criteria is that the necessary care is in place and the home is safe.

Support your mom, let her know it is ok for her to decide the care is more than she is able to provide. Offer to help mom find a place for grandma.
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fronty Mar 2020
What I'm worried about is placing her in long term care and then she gets better. She will definitely want to go home. She has told my mom numerous times she doesn't want to go to a nursing home.
They did this before about 5 or 6 years ago. My mom felt like the doctors were blaming her for repeated visits to the hospital. They were trying to setup long term care. It turns out that it was a side effect to lasix that was causing her issues. My grandma went from being bed ridden to walking up the street in a couple of days.
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Is the decision to discharge normally based on the doctor or the timeline given by medicare? How long does the appeal process take and will the time in rehab be extended if an appeal is filed?
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I'm not sure if written notice was given. My mom was told over the phone that the discharge date is the 26th. The social worker said she was going to check with the nurse about the catheter and an infection she had last week. She was started on antibiotics Thursday or Friday I believe. I sent a text to the PA if the antibiotics worked and he just said she is stable.

They shut down the rehab around a week and half ago due to the corona virus. At that time, she could only get up and sit down. I checked with the nurse a few days ago and was told she was able to get out of bed and sit in the chair with assistance. She couldn't get back to her bed on her own.
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Has anyone gotten a written notice that she is being discharged? You can appeal her discharge with Medicare start by confirming that they have set a discharge date.

Tall to her physical therapist. Who is saying she is unable to walk? I have had an experience recently with a friend; he is telling everyone he can't walk, PT documents that he can walk 200 feet with a walker while supervised by staff. Yes, he can walk. He is anxious about it, but CAN walk. Find out what the reality is.

The fact that your mom can no longer care for her is not justification for more rehab. It IS justification for a transition to long term care.
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fronty Mar 2020
I'm not sure if written notice was given. My mom was told over the phone that the discharge date is the 26th. The social worker said she was going to check with the nurse about the catheter and an infection she had last week. She was started on antibiotics Thursday or Friday I believe. I sent a text to the PA if the antibiotics worked and he just said she is stable.

They shut down the rehab around a week and half ago due to the corona virus. At that time, she could only get up and sit down. I checked with the nurse a few days ago and was told she was able to get out of bed and sit in the chair with assistance. She couldn't get back to her bed on her own.
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