So last night, Aunt I's doctor called. Said she seemed to have hit a plateau where the Bayonet Point ICU had done just about all it could do for her, that it was time to start thinking about moving her to another facility.
Now, we have been waiting to hear from him that she had stabilized enough to be moved to a rehab facility. Note the difference between "stabilized" and "plateau." I get a definite negative connotation from "plateau," not so much from "stablized." The doctor then gave us the name of a place where they would be able to take her; as a matter of fact, he said that the nurse liaison had already checked on Aunt I's situation and determined she would be a "good candidate" for that facility.
Three problems... 1. I went off the deep end emotionally. This sounded like a bad thing. 2. Aunt I's insurance is notoriously crappy and has a reputation for not playing well with others. We wondered if we should even bother checking the new place out until we find out if they have a contract with her insurance. 3. The new place, UCH at Connerton, is twice as far away as where she is now. If she moved there, visiting her would be a real problem for my dad, as well as anyone else who wanted to stop in to see her.
But, I called the nurse liaison to talk things over. First, she said that reaching a plateau is not uncommon in these cases. The ICU can take her so far, but they have no facilities for taking her further. Second, she said they've worked with WellCare (aunt's insurance) and as long as aunt's primary MD says Connerton is her facility of choice, they have been able to work out a 'letter of understanding' for insurance purposes. Third, Connerton's primary patient base is elderly; they know that travel there is problematic. Plus, because they are highly specialized, they get patients from far distances. So, they have a "family van" that you can book to be taken to and from the hospital for visits... even daily, if you want. Fourthly... and fifthly... and sixthly... Connerton is brand new. They have many available beds and staff who can work closely with patients. Their van driver isn't too busy right now. They have family rooms where family can stay overnight if they want. It's a more comfy facility, but with all the bells and whistles needed to take care of patients needing acute care. Most importantly, she said they can do the dialysis, and they specialize in weaning hard-to-wean patients off the ventilator. She said that she has no idea how Aunt I would handle it, but their average patient stay is 25 days.
After talking with her, I'm inclined to recommend to my dad that we do it. It will be a struggle for a while, but if it helps her get better, then we should do it. I feel a bit better, and will talk it over with dad once I get to his house later.
Can anyone say emotional roller coaster?
Meg:
ReplyDeleteReading your posts takes me back two summers ago when we went through a similar journey with my father after his horseback riding accident. As scary as it sounds, ultimately the move will help her improve more quickly. Be prepared for a slight dip in her progress following the transfer. For us we realized that my Dad had grown used to the ICU staff and facility and he thought he had been kidnapped after his initial move to a new unit (he was moved to another part of the hospital after leaving the ICU Trauma unit prior to moving him to another hospital). Keep in mind that she will likely forget where she is and will need to be re-oriented more often those first few days. In the end, while he had a rough day or two when arriving at the new hospital, my Dad was able to quickly improve enough to begin learning to walk and use his hands again along with getting off the oxygen.
You are regularly in my thoughts; may Aunt I get better soon so that you can return home without worry.
Diane