Caregiving: What’s Been Happening in Skilled Nursing
Mom has been in a skilled nursing program for five weeks. As her daughter and caregiver, I have been keeping tabs on her progress, such as improvements in her physical and mental self, her general mood and attitude and her appetite and making sure she is being treated well.
First, an update on the male nurse situation, which I wrote about in a previous post. I read the articles, especially the ones about the signs to look out for and did not notice changes in her behavior or bruising. Additionally, I ask her every day that I visit, how is it going with “Joey” (not his real name). So far so good. Did I believe it? Yes, I did. Since mom is not the best at expressing her thoughts and does not recall things well, I like to get validation, which I did last week.
Every Friday, I bring goodies to the nurses. This time “Joey” was there and asked me, “What is this?” “Just some goodies for you guys,” I replied. At the same time, I needed to sign mom out so we could get our hair cut at the salon. “Who is your mother?” he asked. I told him and he said, “Oh, please make sure you bring her back. We love her and wish she could stay around forever.” There was another nurse at the station who validated that, and they told stories about her, things she did, things she said. They think she is a real hoot! One of the stories he told was about the time he opened her door without knocking and how he got into a little trouble with her. I’m feeling like maybe all is fine and keeping an eye on things.
As far as progress, mom is knocking it out of the park physically. She walks the halls (using her walker, of course) throughout the day and they keep increasing her goals in PT. She can walk, get to the toilet, dress herself, and eat by herself. Mom needs some supervision to get in and out of the shower.
Her mental capabilities are a different story. Mom often has trouble remembering the day and people’s names. She has challenges when it comes to sequencing. The OT has decreased her goals here, so she does not become frustrated.
Socially, mom is doing very well. She participated in some of the activities. When I walked into her room on Friday, I saw white beads on the dresser and inquired where she got them. Proudly, mom told me that she went to play bingo for the first time and won them. Then she asked me if I would put them on her so she could wear them to the salon. So sweet!
Mom does other things to work her brain too. She likes word search, doing crossword puzzles and has been reading. We bought her a Nancy Drew mystery; she almost finished reading it. Mom requested more books, which I will gladly bring to her.
The skilled nursing facility has been great about keeping me updated with progress as well as tracking the number of days stayed and how much is covered by Medicare and her insurance. Medicare will only cover 100 days of care. After that, Medicare pays a portion, her back up insurance pays a portion and anything that is not covered is out of pocket. It is very important to understand this aspect of care.
Overall, I am feeling good about how things are progressing. It has been a long and sometimes difficult journey, with more miles to travel.
Questions for you:
Did you see changes in your loved one during or after their stay in skilled nursing?
How long did the person you care for stay in skilled nursing?
After skilled nursing, what was the next step? Nursing home? Assisted Living? Independent Living?
Helpful Resources:
How Long Do You Usually Stay in a Skilled Nursing Facility? | Cake Blog (joincake.com)
SNF care past 100 days - Medicare Interactive