Will Medicare still pay for the time she was in rehab or will we be responsible. What are our rights? All the time she was in there not one person communicated to us about her condition. She got one shower once a week I think that’s disgusting. She has been in there for a month and has seen one doctor one time. I took her out last week to a special doctor they gave me some papers and it says she should see her own doctor in a week I was not notified of this. Think they are out for the money! So can I just take her out and not return is it legal?
Medicare pays the first 20 days 100%. From 21 to 100 its 50%. Some supplimentals pay some don't. The average ur Mom will owe is about $160 @ day. So Mom may owe $1600. If money is a problem, you may want to tell them she is not able to pay. When Mom went in just to get her strength back, I told them there was no money so they had 20days. She was released in 18 days.
Did u sign her admittance papers? If so, you should have been told how Medicare pays. You should have had a care conference by now. If u don't have POA, Mom can ask u to be there.
I would talk to the Director of Nursing (DON). Tell her Mom wants to go home. Ask her to call the Dr. assigned to Mom and have him discharge her. Rehabs are not prisons.
If they are not treating her why do they insist that she stays?
Medicare does pay for services provided. They don't care that you leave before you have maxed out all of your benefits.
I would tell them that you are leaving and taking her with you, they need to do release paperwork and stop billing Medicare when she leaves. Don't let them bully you into keeping her there.
If they try and stop you tell them that you are calling the police for false imprisonment. This is a real thing and very serious, someone will go to jail for false imprisonment.
The last time my husband was in rehab, he had one shower in three months. That’s not going to happen this time. He is susceptible to life threatening infections and he needs to be kept very clean.
When our loved ones are patients in these places, we need to be proactive and advocate for them.
Before you bring her home, call Medicare and ask if it will endanger her coverage for this.
You will need your HIPPA release to find out. Or POA?
Are there other siblings or any other family involved? Who is making her care decisions?
Try talking to her PCP. Ask him/her to discharge her, or to explain why he will not. Get it in writing if possible.
Have you asked your Mother what she wants?
Consider that there could be a medical need above and beyond the concern you rightfully have of paying for care. Find out more.
It just concerns me that the only powers to help her are the hospital decisions, and not the family decisions. That confusion about who's in charge makes her vulnerable to exploitation by anyone!
Hoping you can find out.
Communication is a two way street. Generally when you visit you become knows, and nurses will share with you when MD visits, what MD is seeing. As will Physical Therapists, and all that of course dependent on whether or not you do have POA for health care OR your Mom and you got the OK to share info in the chart. Most rehabs are quite desperate to include families as their licensure DEPENDS upon it; I was actually conferenced in to a care plan meeting with my brother and all care givers on a conference call.
Now. To discharge. Has your Mom been discharged? Is she going home alone? She is up in years. Is there adequate supervision and help at home, or is she coming to your home, or you to hers? If she is completely capable mental and physical capacity. Does her chart reflect this? If so I can't see any reason she cannot be discharged home, nor that Medical will not pay.
Of course, they get tired. It’s really tough work. It starts right after breakfast until late afternoon. Only break is for lunch. My mom worked very hard. Then she followed up with home health.
And there is a physician who is supervising her care. There is a care plan. A "facility" doesn't just intake patients and then make medical decisions willy nilly. Find out who, may be her primary care MD. Communicate with that physician about your concerns. There are probably factors you don't know about.
Every elder (and even some youngers) who I've seen in hospital or rehab "wants to go home." They think they are fine, until they get home and they are not. One of Medicare's biggest concerns, biggest problems and biggest expenses is for readmission of elderly people who were discharged too soon, who were eager to go home, and who then relapse, fall or have another medical emergency shortly after discharge. Hospitals and facilities are graded on their records in this regard. So hold the phone, don't be in a rush to "get home" before the patient is ready.
I hope that she continues to get the help she needs and improve.
See All Answers