Pat- I am sorry that you had a bad experience with your father's care. I am surprised that the team did not take in your concerns. I am glad you advocated for your father. I would have been appalled with his treatment and discharge plan, too!
I am aware that facilities are pressured by insurance to push and discharge people faster than they are ready. The therapists working in these settings need to advocate more for their patients and not discharge them so soon! We shouldn't be afraid of the insurance companies/medicare- they know diddly squat about our patient's status and function! We all know that there are some bad apples out there that will milk insurances which makes things harder for the rest of us. I don't know how to fix this problem. Sometimes- I do wonder how people actually became therapists. One time, I had a legally blind client who came in to rehab s/p a knee replacement. She lived independently (and remember- she was blind) prior to surgery. She did very well in rehab. Majority of the clinical team wanted to send her to a nursing home because she was blind! I questioned that and reminded them that she was blind AND lived independently before her surgery. I asked what was "new" now. Their counter response was -"she's blind!!!" LAME! I stood my ground- and the rehab doctor- finally realized what I was "saying" and discharged her home! Laura Obara, OTR/L Occupational Therapy Chicago Read Mental Health Center 4200 North Oak Park Avenue Chicago, IL 60634 773.794.3759 TTY 773.794.3760voice/tty 773.794.3772 Fax [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ************************************************************************************** Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. www.otdegree.com/otn **************************************************************************************
