When I started this blog, I was away from home (too far to get back to handle the situation) and my elderly mother had to be hospitalized. I was not only concerned about what was happening with her, but also how to get my father home from the hospital. He is in his 90s, is legally blind and uses a walker to get around. Having him take a cab home was simply not an option and I couldn't reach any relatives. Fortunately, we were already signed up for an in-home aide service and I was able to call them and arrange for an aide to drive him home.
The same scenario didn't work the next day with my mother because she is not listed as a patient with the service. Once again, I was one the phone calling relatives trying to arrange transporation for her. After several hours, I told the hospital that I hadn't had any luck reaching anyone. I asked to speak to a case worker but the case workers were already gone for the day.
My mother didn't understand why she couldn't simply get in a cab and go home. Since she has dementia, that was not an option. I finally got a call from a relative who could take her home.
We are currently working to get a case opened with the in-home agency so that these types of emergencies can be better coordinated in the future.
How do other people handle these situations? The hospital kept asking if there weren't relatives or friends in the area who could help. The reality is that I exhausted those options. My only other option was to arrange non-emergency transport back to their apartment.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Beginning concerns
As my parents have gotten older, more issues have come up about their care. At the same time, most of my friends are dealing with the same issues and we've all said, "There's no book about how to do this!" My hope with this blog is that people will share how they've handled different situations so that others can learn from their experiences.
Some of the issues that I would like to discuss and get feedback about include:
How do you handle the logistics of doctor's appointments when you can't do this yourself?
What do you do with all of the things that are in your parents' house when it is cleaned out?
What do you keep/what do you throw out?
What do you do with photos?
How do you handle issues from a long distance?
This last is a pressing concern for me right now. I am out of town and my mother ended up in the hospital tonight. To complicate matters, my 90+year old father went with her to the hospital in a cab. He has significant health issues and she has dementia. The doctors decided to keep my mother in the hospital overnight and I had to make arrangements long distance to get my father home. Fortunately, they are already being cared for by a home care service so we were able to arrange to have one of the aides take him home. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had not already had those arrangements in place.
How do others handle emergency situations when they are away?
Some of the issues that I would like to discuss and get feedback about include:
How do you handle the logistics of doctor's appointments when you can't do this yourself?
What do you do with all of the things that are in your parents' house when it is cleaned out?
What do you keep/what do you throw out?
What do you do with photos?
How do you handle issues from a long distance?
This last is a pressing concern for me right now. I am out of town and my mother ended up in the hospital tonight. To complicate matters, my 90+year old father went with her to the hospital in a cab. He has significant health issues and she has dementia. The doctors decided to keep my mother in the hospital overnight and I had to make arrangements long distance to get my father home. Fortunately, they are already being cared for by a home care service so we were able to arrange to have one of the aides take him home. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had not already had those arrangements in place.
How do others handle emergency situations when they are away?
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