My apologies if this has been covered.
Post could be in Covid bin, but believe it belongs here.
My widowed aunt lives near me, and I make it a point to visit with her most weeks. We are good friends.
She had what has been described as a mild stroke about a month ago.
She spent 3-4 days at a hospital, and then was sent to a rehab center.
The situation:
- They won't let her leave her room (virus protocol)
- She gets a half hour of rehad in her room 5 days a week. Can't go to physical therapy/ rehab area.
- She can't go for a walk, or go outside. Must stay in her room.
- She can't have visitors. Can't visit of talk with anyone outside at a distance, even with masks. Can't socialize with anyone else at this facility.
- She can talk to me on the phone.
- an assigned doctor has determined she can't be on her own, and must go to assisted living. She has no savings, just SS and small pension, so she is on a waiting list for low cost assisted living. They are now saying 3-4 months.
- her sister has been assigned guardianship.
She is a tough unfriendly 80 year old woman, who doesn't want to communicate if I call her. Defensive. Acts like every question is a statement against how she is handling things.
- My aunt is going crazy in there, and I don't blame her. She has been in the same little room for a month, and we see no relief in sight.
I care about her, and want to try helping her somehow.
What I've done so far:
I offered to take her at my place until an assisted living place opens up.
Her sister said she will lose her Medicaid, which is going to pay for the assisted living.
I've done some checking into this, and she might be correct. It seem strange that the doctor can't agree to something like this.
I said I could take her for 3 months, and then have her reevaluated. Maybe she could go back to her apartment. Her sister said, she and her husband have cleared out her apartment. Wow. She doesn't even get a month or so to possibly improve, before her whole life is flushed?
I'm going to stop over there, and attempt to talk with her social worker. She might not see me. Possibly only the sister. I want to request that they give her some social activity, they are basically killing her with loneliness and isolation in my opinion.
They should take her outside once in awhile, or let her visit family from a distance at a minimum.
The other elephant in the room. Once she gets to assisted living, she will be in the same situation. My friend's mother is in one of these places, and they won't let her out of her room, or visit family.
Any thoughts on possible ways to improve this situation?
Thanks, JP
Post could be in Covid bin, but believe it belongs here.
My widowed aunt lives near me, and I make it a point to visit with her most weeks. We are good friends.
She had what has been described as a mild stroke about a month ago.
She spent 3-4 days at a hospital, and then was sent to a rehab center.
The situation:
- They won't let her leave her room (virus protocol)
- She gets a half hour of rehad in her room 5 days a week. Can't go to physical therapy/ rehab area.
- She can't go for a walk, or go outside. Must stay in her room.
- She can't have visitors. Can't visit of talk with anyone outside at a distance, even with masks. Can't socialize with anyone else at this facility.
- She can talk to me on the phone.
- an assigned doctor has determined she can't be on her own, and must go to assisted living. She has no savings, just SS and small pension, so she is on a waiting list for low cost assisted living. They are now saying 3-4 months.
- her sister has been assigned guardianship.
She is a tough unfriendly 80 year old woman, who doesn't want to communicate if I call her. Defensive. Acts like every question is a statement against how she is handling things.
- My aunt is going crazy in there, and I don't blame her. She has been in the same little room for a month, and we see no relief in sight.
I care about her, and want to try helping her somehow.
What I've done so far:
I offered to take her at my place until an assisted living place opens up.
Her sister said she will lose her Medicaid, which is going to pay for the assisted living.
I've done some checking into this, and she might be correct. It seem strange that the doctor can't agree to something like this.
I said I could take her for 3 months, and then have her reevaluated. Maybe she could go back to her apartment. Her sister said, she and her husband have cleared out her apartment. Wow. She doesn't even get a month or so to possibly improve, before her whole life is flushed?
I'm going to stop over there, and attempt to talk with her social worker. She might not see me. Possibly only the sister. I want to request that they give her some social activity, they are basically killing her with loneliness and isolation in my opinion.
They should take her outside once in awhile, or let her visit family from a distance at a minimum.
The other elephant in the room. Once she gets to assisted living, she will be in the same situation. My friend's mother is in one of these places, and they won't let her out of her room, or visit family.
Any thoughts on possible ways to improve this situation?
Thanks, JP
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