My grandmother was just released from the hospital with only 2 days of notice. My grandfather hasn't had the time nor the money to get a ramp large enough for her to get into and out of the house because it's a 36 inch rise and those ramps cost thousands of dollars. Is there a way to get her to doctors appointments? The hospital scheduled a follow up in 2 weeks.
Once debility is this severe, if there is choice to attempt all heroic measures and treatments for illness, then SNF placement, skilled nursing, is likely the answer. To be honest I don't think accessible ramps are the worse problem you would face, but your first attempt at such an appointment may be the "learning experience" required.
I sure do wish the best of luck to you.
You can call for a medical Transport. They will take her to a van or a vehicle that looks like an ambulance. If she is in a Wheelchair it would be a wheelchair accessible vehicle if she is bedbound they would put her on a gurney and transport her. Give them detailed info when you call to arrange transport. Medical transport may be covered by her insurance so check that
She probably should not have been released to home if it is not safe to get her in and out of the house.
You can get an aluminum ramp that you can more easily more. I got one on line and it was reasonable. (you can also check a Farm Store and see if there are any ramps that might be used for getting animals into a truck. Or equipment like mowers onto a flatbed. )
You can also check with the local Senior Service center in their area and ask if there are any volunteers that could build a ramp.
Is the inside of his home even big enough for her wheelchair? Is there a bedroom and bathroom on the same floor? Can she even get herself from the chair to the toilet?
Are your family members willing to orbit around them so that she doesn't go to rehab and remains in a wheelchair (unless they can get in-home PT and she does it)?
Lots to ponder...
"That's where I'm getting to. My grandfather told me an hour ago that he wants me to be an additional caregiver for her (unpaid) but I'm against her being sent home at all until she has recovered enough to not need such specialized help. I know that I don't have good enough physical and mental health to take care of her how she needs to be taken care of."
So you tell granddad that No, you are not going to be grandmoms caregiver. She need more care than you have the ability to do. Its not fair for him to think you can do this for no pay. You have a life.
I would call the Patient Advocate at the hospital and see if she can still be qualified for rehab.
Call your Office of Aging and see if they can help with a ramp. My friend was able to get one on loan. Meaning when he was done with it, it went back to the Office of Aging.
If Mom ends up in the hospital again, you can claim "unsafe discharge". Can GM use a wheelchair or completely bedbound? I would call Medicare (or if she has Medicare Advantage them) and ask if there is no way to get GM out of the house for this appt, will they cover a transport. I would also call the office where the appt is and ask if they have any recommendations. Maybe they can send out a Nurse Practioner.
The rehab facility may not be as top-notch as they would like, but it will give better rehabilitation than she will get at home. At home, she may receive therapy one to two times weekly. In rehab, she can have therapy daily. When my Mom was in rehab for 6 weeks she hated every bit of it, but she knew she had to get strong enough to do more for herself when discharged. If she was just discharged home from hospital, she wouldn't have any motivation to do therapy.
Your grandfather can be at the rehab facility daily to advocate for your grandmother and address whatever it is that upsets them about the facility.
As for getting her to follow up appointment, tell the hospital grandmother's situation and have them order home health ASAP. A nurse can assess her condition and give information to the doctor.
If it's a condition only a doctor can assess in folliw-up, then see if a medical transport company can take her on a stretcher. If the doctor signs their paperwork stating the transport is medically necessary, then hopefully Medicare will pay for it.
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