Posted on 07/11/2022 12:13:24 PM PDT by JeepersFreepers
No they paid.
Happened to my husband’s BIL and my brother in January 2022. Both died 2 weeks after being admitted to the hospital. They were in the ER, then the ICU, on a ventilator and Remdesivir after 5 days. Two different hospitals in 2 different cities in SoCal.
Bump.
There are good and bad hospice agencies - you can fire the one you have and get one on the same page as you!
My FIL (end stage dementia) at our home, on hospice for almost 6 months, they have provided equipment, supplies, a weekly nurse visit, CNA, chaplain, etc. He is only on meds that we want him on, no morphine or pain meds as they are not needed. They provided a wonderful hospital bed with alternating air mattress to prevent bed sores, hoyer lift, gerichair, portable toilet, shower chair, ramps…
They have treated every issue that has come up, skin tears, UTIs, infections, reflux, sleep issues, etc. They sent him to the hospital once for stitches. We didn’t like the first nurse and they agreed to only send a nurse that we like and she is amazing.
He has clearly stated in his end of life wishes that he does not want extraordinary measures, a DNR, so a heart attack or stroke or other major medical emergency we will not treat because those were his stated wishes. However, our agency was clear from day one if we ever wanted something treated, we could pause hospice, have it treated, and reinstate him after. It happens quite a lot as I’ve learned from a dementia board I’m on.
Patients need someone with them all the time, IMO. The COVID wards are notorious for just letting people die - NO care other than lots of Remdesivir.
My dad is 99 ... if he has to go to the hospital & they want to put him in a ward without family, he/I have agreed, he’s coming home.
My brother’s partner’s wife got COVID & ended up in the hospital. No visitors. He “broke in” twice to see her - hospital locked all the doors & posted security (other families trying to get in too). Once she could no longer talk on the phone, he couldn’t keep tabs on her - docs/nurses were not calling him back. Finally, a doc talked to him to tell him they intubated her because she was ‘fighting’ them & they did give her Remdesivir. Evidently she was too young to kill - off vent in 3 days, but spent a long, long time in rehab.
Happened to my husband’s BIL and my brother in January 2022. Both died 2 weeks after being admitted to the hospital. They were in the ER, then the ICU, on a ventilator and Remdesivir after 5 days. Two different hospitals in 2 different cities in SoCal.
I hope there will be some recourse for families who have lost loved ones in the future to push hospitals to stop this treatment because as far as I know, the fauxi protocols still are in place :(
Thank you for sharing this. Yes we are in the same situation. Except for the “Comfort” means as quick as possible. I sent an email Friday, and if I do not get an answer by tonight we are going shopping. :)
A post from a friend in our own forum...
“If you ever feel shorted at a hospital or need help, make your next mission to find that hospital’s Patient Advocate. This is a position created at just about every hospital to make sure patients interests are protected, and the position is vested with immense power. It will often be a very small girl, very pleasant, nice smile, and with one call to a doctor and a slightly stern voice, she will be able to get the entire staff of the hospital trembling in fear, and desperate to do whatever you want. Send her boss a letter afterward, telling them how great she was.”
My reply back...
I talked with them many times over he years. They are like Human Resources in a large corporation. The hospital still signs their paycheck...
Hospice does not have patient advocates. Because the patient is already dead in their minds. Dead people do not require advocacy...
You go to a hospice when you are terminally ill. You are there to die. That is their mentality.
“You go to a hospice when you are terminally ill. You are there to die. That is their mentality.”
Yes, and I understand that it is what it is. But to purposely compound the situation causing even more pain and stress for both patient and family while offering only Morphine as the way out is just wrong as a mind frame.
Hey... How about treating all the secondary issues that are curable and let them die of the one terminal issue? This I would consider as true “comfort” for both patient and family.
If the person is there on Medicaid, the facility gets paid a daily rate to care for him.
https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/hospice-benefits/hospice-payments/index.html
They don’t get paid to do treatment. Read it yourself.
I’m lucky I was a very early adopter (first week of 2020).
“There were news accounts of several patients being held hostage in a COVID ward being rescued by their loved ones.”
We did that in May.
Glad you were able to rescue! I think it may vary between states and between institutions.
Here in Chicagoland, the hospitals fought tooth and nail to prevent release or Ivermectin treatments.
Very disconcerting as I have been to those institutions in the past, but have no intention of going in the future.
With the hospice we use, the social worker is the patient advocate and whenever we have a concern she resolves it within days. The CNA and nurse have also advocated for certain equipment and medications for my FIL as well. For example, we didn’t like a wheelchair hospice provided and a nurse went to the agency and insisted we get a different kind of chair for him and they did. If Medicaid covers it they should provide it, it is only paperwork for the agency.
Okay, now I understand your father is at your daughter’s home. LilFarmer is correct. You have the right to choose another hospice agency and find one that *will* treat him for issues other than the terminal illness. You can also look into a palliative care home service (you get doctor visits, nurse visits, hospital bed, potty chair, etc.) that will treat him and pause hospice if you like the palliative care service better.
If he is on Medicaid, you usually get caregivers, and these caregivers are not tied to being on hospice, but provided as needed whether on hospice or not. I had to hire caregivers privately, as my Dad was not on Medicaid.
How would your father be cared for if he went back to the trailer in the boonies? Medicaid does not provide 24/7 caregivers in my state (maybe they do in yours), and with no family member present ... how could that be managed? Even with 24/7 paid caregivers, it could be a problem as they don’t always show up, and with no family member around, well, could be risky and big headaches for you having to go out there all the time. And do any good hospices or other care services cover that area?
As much as we want to honor our loved ones’ wishes, sometimes it is not possible. It’s hard for someone with dementia to understand that, but at the same time, a person with dementia may not be able to make wise decisions and we have to make hard choices for them. Again, my heart goes out to you and your family. I know this is hard!
My FIL is also not on Medicaid, so we hired a private caregiver who comes in a few hours a day to give us a break. It’s expensive, but very necessary for our sanity - it is hard, no doubt about it. I took care of my mom who had ALS and I thought that was hard, but in many ways this is harder because my FIL is completely different than the person he was (aggressive, etc) and doesn’t know who we are.
Oh my, that is hard! At least my Dad always knew who we were, etc. — I really feel for you! How heartbreaking. ALS is a cruel disease, too. You have really been through so much. My Mom had a host of issues, COPD, diabetes, kidney stones, you name it, and I cared for both parents before she died, then my Dad. Caring for a dementia patient is much harder, you are right. So many years of caregiving does take a toll on one. I am glad you hire those caregivers. Breaks are needed.
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