Roller Coaster

A very unhappy meeting yesterday with the discharge planner here.  I was just walking into the hospital, feeling quite chipper after a good workout, when I was accosted at the door and presented with the statement that there were no open nursing beds in Juneau or Anchorage (I already knew that), an open bed was available for dad at the nursing home in Seward, dad would lose his eligibility to remain at St. Elias on Friday, and therefore we were going to be Seward bound.

Huh?  Seward?  No consultation?  No discussion of other possibilities?  I was not pleased with either the message or the messenger.

I left the discharge planner with the understanding I wanted to have a more serious discussion today and wanted more information about possible placements Outside (perhaps a Veteran's facility), or even a nursing home in Seattle or Portland.  I mentioned Wrangell too - apparently the hospital/nursing home there has carved-out a niche in serving Juneau folks when the Juneau facility is full.  I emphasized that I still assumed our goal was to return to Juneau at the earliest possible date either to the nursing home or to the folks' abode.

I spoke to mom and her reaction was no different than mine...then I called Catholic Community Services in Juneau to get them involved in a possible discharge plan home.  I have not yet heard from the St. Elias discharge functionary this morning...

I did, however, have a very pleasant conversation with the doc a few minutes ago.  She believes that dad could return home although it would obviously require a LOT of support.  She believes it is possible to rent hoyer lifts and I know that hospital beds are obtainable in Juneau.  I expressed to the doc my supreme displeasure with the notion of being turfed-out to Seward.  A few minutes later she came back and said that since dad had an appointment with his surgeon here in Anchorage on the 26th of this month; he really needed to remain here.

Now I would like to think that a doc's opinion would trump the discharge planner's desire to give us the heave-ho.  But at the end of the day this is all ultimately going to be about money - who is willing to pay for what - and I DO understand why Medicare is not eager to pay for dad to remain in a facility that provides services he no longer needs at a cost higher than a nursing home. 

So...mixed messages.  The battle is joined.  I am contemplating buying a length of chain and a substantial lock so I can lash dad to his bed when I am not present.  Hah!  Stay tuned...