A Timeline

Feb 11, 2013

My mother got up and ate breakfast.  Then my brother, sister, and dad decided to drive her to emergency.  I had suggested a transport, but used the word "ambulance."  My sister negated the idea. My mother attempted to get in the car head first and ended up sitting on the running board.  So they rolled her into the car, facing backwards and drove five minutes to the hospital.  The hospital aides struggled to remove her from the car.  She was admitted to the hospital because of the ulcers on her buttocks.

Feb12, 2013
An asute nurse thought to test her for -diff since my mother was complaining of stomach pain  The test came back positive.  My mother was unresponsive due to the narcotic morphine.

Feb 13, 2013
Doctos decided that she would be transferred to the nursing home tomorrow, Thurs.

Feb 14, 2013
Last night, Mother was given a beta blocker which slowed her heart rate to 29 bpm.  Cardiologist suggested a pacemaker which Dad turned down.  She would never survive surgery and it would serve no useful purpose. No move as the social workers cannot give a prognosis as to whether she is hospice or rehab.

Feb 15, 2013
Meeting with social workers.  Mother could not feed herself or move because of the drug morphine so failed the rehab test, and is given the prognosis, hospice.

Feb 16 and Feb 17, 2013
Social work office is closed for weekend.  Pending move Monday.

Feb 18, 2013
Mother is moved by ambulance to nursing facility.  Dad, brother, sister and I were there.  She was very afraid, repeated "I'm so scared!"  I sat beside her and gradually she calmed down.

Feb 19, 2013
I took a poster and some books and taped them to the wall where she could see them.  I talked to physical and occupational therapists, but since she is hospice, she is not supposed to receive these services.  However, the therapists are meeting with their supervisors, asking for two weeks of rehab therapy.

Feb 20, 2013
Her air mattress arrived today, so she was hoisted out of bed and into her chair.  We sat in the dining room/lounge for a couple hours.  First time she had been out of bed in over a week.

Feb 21, 2013
Brother came to visit.  Again she sat in wheelchair.

Feb 22, 2013
Manicurist cut and filed her fingernails.  Sister came to visit and took her for a long walk in her wheelchair.

Feb 23, 2013
It is Saturday, so no therapy today.  She ate a good lunch, but did not want dinner.  Dad and I  will try to change the prognosis to rehab.  Hope she will understand and cooperate.  Dad is going to test for c-diff too.  He is exhibiting the same symptoms.

Feb 24, 2013
When I arrived at the nursing home, my mother was sleeping.  My dad attributed her sleepiness to her "nerve pill."  She woke up enough to eat.  After dinner, she was very uncomfortable with abdominal pain.  My father discovered that because she is on hospice, she is not receiving an antibiotic for the c-diff.  We talked to an occupational therapist and she told us to terminate hospice services and talk to a social worker about receiving rehab. Need to to this tomorrow.

Feb 25, 2013
Had an illuminating discussion with the nurse.  The c-diff is under control.  My mother had her last antibiotics on Friday.  She believes that the stomach pain is caused by gas.  I believe the back pain is bone spurs or osteo arthritis.

Feb 26, 2013
I arrived early to help my mother with breakfast.  She sat in her wheelchair and I helped her eat  We went to the main lobby to watch the activity in the parking lot.  She is in pain either from her pressure sores, gas in the stomach or bone spurs.  She sat up for six hours and then was helped to bed.  She was in distress, tossing and turning and uncomfortable.  Very hard to figure out a strategy.