Were Still In The Hospital

It looks like we spring my mom tomorrow.  Yesterday my dad and I visited a rehab facility.  Today I went to another.

The plan is for her to leave here,  head to rehab, then in a few weeks head home.

We are such naifs. There is so much we don’t know.  The hospital has provided some guidance which has been helpful.  It may be our first time at the rodeo,  but not theirs.

Of course my mom doesn’t want to feel abandoned.  My dad can spend as much time with her as he wants including meals.

When I came back to the hospital my mom was sitting in a chair.  That’s her first time out of bed since my arrival.  It’s a big deal.

The are no good answers,  but at least right now they don’t look as bad as they did a few days ago.

13 thoughts on “Were Still In The Hospital”

  1. Glad to hear things are looking up for your mom, Geoff. At least you have a plan now. Hoping to hear more good news and improvement daily.

  2. I know what you’re going through Geoff. My dad has been in and out of hospitals and nursing homes for the past few months. The communication you get from these places is next to nil. The greatest source is from friends that have been through it. Most people that have know the shortcuts. Good luck to you.

  3. hi geoff, hope all is well with you and your mom & dad. hope to see you back at fox news soon. my moms also in the hospital has been in since last sunday. we were expecting her home today but her sugar levels are high and her heart rates are sky high their trying het in sleeo meds nothings working for her today she is like a zombie due to the sleep meds shes nit sleeping. anyway geoff hope all is well with you and your mom and dad. happy mothersday to your mom from me. love you geoff ! hope to see you bavk at fox news soon we miss you geoff ! pattu shafer pawcatuck ct!

  4. Geoff, my heart aches for you all. I’ve been through this with both my folks before they passed on. I would be happy to share thoughts and experiences with you if you wish. The biggest thing is someone from the family has to be there every day keeping an eye on things. And you have to let the facility know what you expect. I had to force one highly rated place here in Madison to post signs over my mother’s bed that she was legally blind and hard of hearing as the staff rotated so much and that info didn’t follow. At first the place refused to do it citing HIPPA – can you believe it? Only when I made a HUGE stink did they do it. Call or email me if you need to talk.

  5. Good luck to you and your parents Geoff. My sisters and I had to navigate all that for my father for the first time 8 or so years ago and boy were we naive!!
    All I can advise is if you don’t like something – question it!! As wonderful as some places can be, they don’t always have your parent’s best interest in mind.

  6. Good Thoughts with you as you go through this process. As others have stated I went through this with both my parents and you are your moms biggest advocate. Question and re question everything. The social workers at rehab facilities are usually the go between with doctors and nurses but on many occasions we spoke directly to the doctors on request when we felt in the dark about medications and treatment. They aren’t always readily available and have many patients to see in a short time but if we fussed enough they got back to us!! I also requested signs for my mom’s room due to her lack of vision and hearing- you’d be surprised what a big difference those little signs made. God Bless as you go through this journey.

  7. Geoff, I’ll add my voice to those saying speak up. When my mom was in the hospital, I was there twice a day and called at least twice a day to check on her condition. (She was in ICU most of the time, so I couldn’t stay long on each visit.) I kept a notebook of all the contact – who I spoke with, when, what they said, what meds they were giving her. It helped to keep everything clear in my head and also helped as she was transferred between hospitals and the nursing home. The records don’t always follow so quickly.

    I also made sure everyone had my home/work/cell numbers in case they needed to contact me quickly.

    I know I was probably a pest to some of the nurses and doctors, but it was MY mother. Don’t worry about being pushy. It’s YOUR mother we’re talking about. You need to know what’s going on and who is in charge of her while she’s at the nursing home. Call for updates – for the most part, the nurses/desk attendants were understanding and happy to provide me with the info (once I gave them the proper ID/passwords). They do understand you’re just looking out for mom.

    Here’s hoping she’s home soon. That’s when she’lll really start feeling better.

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