I think family should have open and trusting communication with each other and know when more help is needed.
My grandma is still kickin' at 93! She lives alone in a condo and drives locally during good weather/during the day time(but less than usual now). She is still very active in the community. She does feel comfortable asking family to drive her around. I wanna be like her when I am her age!:-) 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] >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1/22/2007 8:45 PM >>> Laura, That's crazy to put someone in a nursing home just because they are blind! Thank goodness she had you to stand up for her. I think the true reason the therapists didn't take my or my father's feelings into account was because they wanted a lighter workload. I can't tell you how offended I was when his Dr said that as an OT I should know better than to want them to keep him when the therapists gave such wonderful reports about him. It never occurred to him that maybe it was the reports that were off base. A lot of people think I am awful for "allowing" my father to live alone at his age (86 next month), but the man is still driving AND dating! (He has a lovely 84 year old lady friend). He is also of sound mind. Yes, he fell and broke an ankle, but the experience has made him more cautious than ever. He did have a good experience in the SNF, but he always knew it was a temporary arrangement. I think it would kill him if he had to live in a place that like for the rest of his days. I think people have a right to live and die in their own homes. At 11:07 AM 1/22/2007, you wrote: >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 >************************************************************************************** -- 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 ************************************************************************************** -- 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 **************************************************************************************
