I'm 63f, disabled and dependent on wheelchairs to get around. I have a power wheelchair and a mobility scooter.
I had major abdominal surgery at the end of October and chose this facility from the very short list the hospital showed me only because it's not far from where I live. This was a huge mistake.
They took away my power wheelchair and won't let me use it while I'm here.
The hygiene here is awful. They have only one hot water heater that works. My first and not very thorough shower since my admission on November 7th was yesterday.
The wait times to get on and off bed pans is considerable. I have severe IBS-D, which makes waiting very painful. It's hard to get them to wipe me thoroughly each time. Normally they wipe only after bm's but I still feel unclean.
The meals are skimpy but that's the least of my worries.
My surgeon gave me a 20 pound restriction on PT but they meant 20 pounds plus my body weight. The rehab facility had it wrong and imo, is using this as an excuse to delay my discharge. No matter how much progress I make with PT it's never enough to plan for my discharge.
I can use a walker and pivot and turn. At home I was totally dependent on my power chair with few exceptions and rehab knows this!
A few days ago one of the providers (an NP) told me she thought I could go home as early as next week but the head of pt said today in so many words "not so fast ". He and several other staffers were gathered in my room for a meeting today, none of whom were moved by my tears or begging to be allowed to go home. They know that I have a cat, who's currently being taken care of by some friends and also other responsibilities.
I live in a HUD apartment and just received recertification paperwork. If I don't work on it I will lose my home.
After coming here I did some research, which I should have done beforehand, and found this place has been cited by the government several times and there's an active wrongful death suit against it.
Someone in their financial department had me sign papers disenrolling from my Medicare advantage plan to stick with Part A to pay for my stay. This takes effect on the 28th, when my 20 days are up, at which point my insurance copay - a very big one - will be charged. I'm not clear what the costs here will be after this change takes effect on 12/1.
I didn't think about how giving up my Medicare advantage plan would affect my dental benefits. I forgot about a crown I was going to have work on sometime before Christmas. Now that's out the window.
I want to go home. I can't take this place anymore. It feels like prison. They refuse to give me a discharge date, not even an estimate. Some of my clothes are missing. They took away my power wheelchair but so far haven't let me actually see it wherever it's being supposedly kept here.
The local ombudsman is useless. I have no family to advocate for me. I am all alone. Please help me. Thank you
This maybe where this OP is. May need a lawyer.
You mention that your family will not advocate for you. Were they the ones providing care for you in the past?
Given that you’ve shown the ability to stand and pivot on the walker, why are you being left on a bedpan instead of on a commode or a toilet?
If you are approaching the 20days, inform the financial dept that you have no money to pay for the days over the 20. Medicare only pays 100% for the first 20 days, 50% after. You are responsible for that other 50%. I did this with my Mom and she was out in 18 days.
I would also question them not allowing you your chair. This maybe a violation of the Disabilities act.
Do you have care set up for yourself at home? Don't be an unsafe discharge. If there's no one to help you at home what happens if you fall? Or you need to be cleaned up? Even the crappy place you're in is better than nothing if there's no care in place for you in your home.
It may be the rehab's policy to not allow electric wheelchairs in the facility. They can be a safety hazard to staff and other residents who are walking in the hall or the PT room.
Call the police if the rehab is refusing to give you a discharge date. If the Ombudsman is not doing their job, they have a boss who they answer to. You contact that person or agency. Many states have a special office set up that polices state agencies. In some states it's APS.
The fail-proof way to find out when your discharge date will be is to call the insurance company and find out how many days of rehab they pay for. Guaranteed you get discharged on the last day they pay for.
Do you have a legal guardian who is making these decisions for you? Is there a caseworker involved? If not, I don't know how they can do anything you are not consenting to. We are just getting your side of the story and this makes it difficult to give you productive guidance. Maybe try reporting yourself to APS? Report the facility to the governing body that oversees the rehab facility? Or call an attorney to see what your options are.
I'm so sorry for your distressing situation.
You are very articulate, and well-written, and have explained a whole lot, but the truth is that, as you have told us, you have NO ONE.
You are, moreover, on Medicaid, which will not provide you care in-home.
Add to that you are dependent both due to mobility issues. You also tell us you are unable to cleans yourself or to bath without help.
As you must already know, having talked with social workers at your facility and the ombudsman, it would be negligent of this facility to simply take you home and dump you there without help that cannot be provided.
I wish I had better news for you, but it seems you are not yet safe for discharge home without assistance there. Keep working toward wellness, keep advocating for yourself; speak to your doctor. If you feel that there is some nefarious thing happening then do make a call to APS and beg them to pay you a visit to discuss option, or even an elder law attorney; they DO make in facility visits after speaking with people on the phone.
I can only wish you the very best of luck and tell you how terribly sorry I am this is all happening with/to/for you.