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My father went from the hospital to an Acute Rehab to a Transitional Care Unit after a brain and heart surgery that occurred within 2 months of each other. He has been in the TCU now for three weeks and has symptoms we believe he should go back to the hospital for. The TCU doctor doesn't seem to be taking them seriously.


1. Would we just take him to the ER and hope they admit him back in?


2. If admitted and treated would he start over at the ARU again? I realize that depends on his progress at discharge and Medicare.


3. We had heard that Medicare days allowed for an Acute Rehab would start over even though he already used his ARU day allotment after his first surgery. We are worried he wouldn't have the opportunity to go back to the ARU that he would probably need.


4. Has anyone else experienced this dilemma?


We did not anticipate this longer journey and my mom and I have no idea what we're doing but want to advocate for him.

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You can call an anbulance but like you say the TCU may not take him back.

With Medicare there is a number of days you have to wait until they will pay for Rehab again from day one, I think. Then there maybe that if Dad was not in the whole 100 allowed, then he can go to rehab again but he starts at the last day he was in previously. Lets say he was in 25 days the last vidit, he will start at 26. This means he is responsible for 50% of the cost of his stay.

My question is, how old is Dad. Why is he no longer in Rehab and now in a TCU? He is paying out of pocket now, correct? Or he is on Medicaid and has handed over his SS? Have you been told that there is really no more that can be done for Dad? Is he expected to improve?
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Reply to JoAnn29
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Rouqefort Sep 20, 2024
Thank you for explaining this, it is so confusing and we will definitely need to confirm with his insurance.
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If you want him to be able to go back to the facility, if hospitalization is required;

I would encourage you to escalate this with them. Advocate with them, explain what your concerns are and ask that they explain, in terms a child could understand, what they see and why they are diagnosing the situation as they are. This is when you can 1, understand what the diagnosis is, 2, advocate for emergency care and how they can help you get that.

May The Lord be with all of you. The beginning is so difficult. We truly learn what we didn't know we didn't know. What I wished I had been given a heads up on:

It is always OKAY to ask lots of questions, it is ALWAYS OKAY to ask for a second opinion, it is always okay to ask for the patient advocate, and it is always best to take care of yourself during this time.
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Reply to Isthisrealyreal
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Rouqefort Sep 20, 2024
Thank you for your encouragement. I am learning to speak up and I appreciate the reminders that it is ok to do so.
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This is all impossible for a set of strangers to have any input on, really, R.
We know absolutely NOTHING about your father. Not his age. Not his illness. Not the history of the illness. Not the current diagnosis or prognosis and not what is currently happening with him. We don't know anything about his medical teams expectations for a full recovery.

I am sorry to say that we absolutely have to have information to have any educated input and without it we can do nothing but wish you good luck. You not both a brain and a heart surgery. It quite honestly doesn't get any more serious than that.

Do speak with the medical team. This is where your questions are now best directed. And again I wish both you and your dad good luck, and hope he is able to recover from this.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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Rouqefort Sep 20, 2024
Thank you for your insight. I agree, and am happy to share details but wasn't sure how much I was allowed to write in a post as I am new to the forum and it would be a novel. I will do my best to share enough for others to help if they wish to do so. I am truly grateful for any responses as I realize it takes time for anyone to do that. Thank you again for taking the time to respond.
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It seems that your problem is the Transitional Care Unit doctor, who ‘does not seem to be taking his symptoms seriously’. Your first step could be to ask for a better explanation (perhaps that TCU thinks hospice is more appropriate), your next step to ask for a second opinion at this point. A second opinion may be a lot cheaper than risking un-funded care. As you have 'no idea what you're doing', you mostly need more information.
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Reply to MargaretMcKen
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Rouqefort Sep 20, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to respond. This gives us a lot to think about.
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If any symptoms are alarming enough that you think he should be seen at the hospital YOU don't take him to the hospital, call 911 and say that he needs to be taken to the hospital.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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Rouqefort Sep 20, 2024
I did not know that until now so thank you. My mom was going to try and order a wheel chair because the one in his room belongs to the TCU and she figured we needed our own to transport him so thank you again for this. We are so ignorant to everything I'm realizing!
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