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.
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