Comments on: The Healthcare Experience….Firsthand http://www.sosoft.com/blog/2010/07/20/the-healthcare-experience-firsthand/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:08:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kathy http://www.sosoft.com/blog/2010/07/20/the-healthcare-experience-firsthand/comment-page-1/#comment-919 Kathy Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:14:21 +0000 http://www.sosoft.com/blog/?p=908#comment-919 Your situation is currently much more challenging than mine, Nancy. At least both of our ill parents are ambulatory and can do a great deal of self-care. The challenge of long-term care and how to pay for it is another huge issue. Medicare is no help there. Obviously, your recent experience demonstrates that it may be hard to get Medicare to pay for the short-term stabilizing care they supposedly cover. And this has happened to someone who works with the Medicare rules every day; think about those who are totally in the dark! I think those of us who work in behavioral healthcare sometimes think we don't need such care. It is not just our elderly parents who might benefit. Good luck with your parents. We wish you lots of strength and support from family and friends. Your situation is currently much more challenging than mine, Nancy. At least both of our ill parents are ambulatory and can do a great deal of self-care. The challenge of long-term care and how to pay for it is another huge issue. Medicare is no help there. Obviously, your recent experience demonstrates that it may be hard to get Medicare to pay for the short-term stabilizing care they supposedly cover. And this has happened to someone who works with the Medicare rules every day; think about those who are totally in the dark!

I think those of us who work in behavioral healthcare sometimes think we don’t need such care. It is not just our elderly parents who might benefit. Good luck with your parents. We wish you lots of strength and support from family and friends.

]]> By: Nancy http://www.sosoft.com/blog/2010/07/20/the-healthcare-experience-firsthand/comment-page-1/#comment-918 Nancy Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:57:14 +0000 http://www.sosoft.com/blog/?p=908#comment-918 I am one of those caring for my elderly parents. My mother had a stroke 11 years ago and cannot speak, walk etc. We have had her in the home until recently and now she is in a nursing home temporarily. We had a situation with Medicare and the transfer to a facility as the hospital she was in only put her in Observation and not being admitted. This changed the rules totally as far as payment. This was news to me as we assumed she had been admitted as was in a room for 2 days. I have 2 siblings spread out between VT and MA who help with caring for our parents. We insisted that our parents have a advanced directive. It is a challenge for us baby boomers caring for parents and working full time and still trying to put kids through college. The golden years seem further away. As far as behavioral health care - the older generation (my parents) don't even acknowledge it exists - they just deal with it and don't admit they need help. Working in this field, I have had to push them to seek help. I am one of those caring for my elderly parents. My mother had a stroke 11 years ago and cannot speak, walk etc. We have had her in the home until recently and now she is in a nursing home temporarily. We had a situation with Medicare and the transfer to a facility as the hospital she was in only put her in Observation and not being admitted. This changed the rules totally as far as payment. This was news to me as we assumed she had been admitted as was in a room for 2 days.
I have 2 siblings spread out between VT and MA who help with caring for our parents. We insisted that our parents have a advanced directive. It is a challenge for us baby boomers caring for parents and working full time and still trying to put kids through college. The golden years seem further away. As far as behavioral health care – the older generation (my parents) don’t even acknowledge it exists – they just deal with it and don’t admit they need help. Working in this field, I have had to push them to seek help.

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