This morning, I went to Social Security to apply for my benefits, in preparation for my husband's retirement. Afterward, I went to the Hallmark store at the District, for upcoming birthday cards. Fourteen, of our friends and family were born in June. I popped in Flea Bag's Barkery for some Bully Bones for Izzy and then stopped in Crazy Pita to grab a salad to go. While standing in line, my cell rang...
It was one of the nurses at the nursing home. She mentioned Dad's "history" of "trying to escape" and told me he had not tried in the past two weeks, so they would be discontinuing his Wander Guard on his wrist. SAY WHAT???
I told her we had a problem with that... She began to pontificate about the health department and some kind of compliance... I told her I did not care about the compliance, I cared about Dad, and did not want a repeat performance of the fall he had May 7th. She didn't seemed informed, because she brushed right over my comment, and assured me they would call me before they discontinued it.
I told her I would look into this and expected his alarm bracelet to be checked daily as I was told it was being done. Obviously, she had other calls to make or duties to perform, because she repeated herself telling me they would call before they discontinued it.
I will be called the Director of Nursing to get to the bottom of THIS!!! I tried several times today and the DON was in meetings...first thing tomorrow, I will give her a call...
6 comments:
WHAT? I can't believe that they would discontinue it after 2 weeks. We have to go through a major ordeal to have someone come off one of those. I think you need to stick to your guns on this one.
PS - In our building the DON isn't in on the weekend, so you may not be able to get a hold of her tomorrow.
Social Security and the call from the nursing home in the same day...what a day. It is crazy how things can break down in a chain of command some time. I am sure you will get to the bottom of it and make sure you dad is safe.
Mari: I called this am and spoke with the DON. She and I were IMMEDIATELY on the same page! She told me she would talk to that nurse and straighten her out. She assured me Dad would have his alarm on.
We were understanding the first time, but if it ever happened again after taking off the alarm....oh man, they think I am a pest now? JUST WAIT!!!
Jeanie: Actually, it was not bad at all at the SS office. I walked in, checked in electronically, the machine spit out a ticket. The guard walked over and told me I was the next appt. There was maybe a half dozen people in the lobby. I went to the rest room, came out, sat down and I was called. Took me back to a private office and I was out within an hour. My benefits start the second week in Aug. (They could have started in July, but I wanted to put it off a month to get a bit more on my check. Easy Peasy.
This shows how important it is for people to have Advocates (you!) for them to deal with the health care system.
read your comment; glad the DON and you were on the same page; definitely this Wander Guard should always be part of your dad's "equipment" Too risky not to have it be
betty
It's so important that you're a "voice" for your loved ones in today's health care system.
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