I feel like a war correspondent reporting from the front. In a way, it is a front. So here's the latest:

I stayed at the hospital until almost midnight last night. My mother went edemic. They were short-staffed, so I had to make sure what needed to get done for her was done. I'm heading out there shortly, but come hell or high water, I'm taking her home today!

To add to the mix, the home health agency I've had for the last two years "discharged" us because I complained about faulty equipment and general incompetence. Most recently, our doctor prescribed home oxygen. The first machine they brought wreaked of cigarette smoke. The second machine stopped working in the middle of the night and Mom had no oxygen. They brought out three other machines and none of them worked. So I had to put her on the back-up tank system and two of the tanks didn't work. I was told they'd "get someone out tomorrow" and, after trying to explain that Mom needed the oxygen, I said I don't care if you drive it out in your car yourself--you get it here! Now I have to file a complaint with Medicare which is very important so bad service can be weeded out.

This brings up a very important point. You must advocate for your aging parent and not be intimidated, (See chapter 4) Since Mom has been in the hospital she has seen six different doctors. Four "think" she has pneumonia and two "think" it's congestive heart failure. (Good doctors will admit that medicine is trial and error!) This is a great example of how different the opinions can be and why it's so important that you pay attention!

Here's another example. When she was in the hospital during the summer, the doctor changed her medication but forgot to cancel her prior one. A nurse argued with me that the doctor wanted both. It took me three hours to to get her to "humor me" and call the doctor who confirmerd that he just forgot to cancel the other medication. (This is why asking questions is important.) The nurse was resentful.

To answer your question, I made significant changes at home for Mom. I put down hardwoods so she could walk more easily and we could wheel her around if we had to which now we do. I widened the door of the bathroom she uses from 24" to 30" so she could get her walker in. I got a chair-height commode which is now available "off the shelf" without special order because we boomers are demanding it.

Until later . . . [Smile]

[ January 12, 2006, 09:22 AM: Message edited by: F N Rosenstock ]