The ER is packed

[Junie]

4 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Just coming back to this because DH has been on a ladder today, and DS17 is making foam props using an exacto knife. I’m quarantining away from them, so can’t exactly chase them down and make them stop, but it is making me so nervous!

Do you want me to come over and give them the what-for? 😉

[Faith-manor]

6 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Just coming back to this because DH has been on a ladder today, and DS17 is making foam props using an exacto knife. I’m quarantining away from them, so can’t exactly chase them down and make them stop, but it is making me so nervous!

Oy! Bad boys, bad bad boys!

[Spryte]

11 minutes ago, Junie said:

Do you want me to come over and give them the what-for? 😉

Yes!

[Jean in Newcastle]

37 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Wow. It’s never-ending. I shudder to think what it will be like when the unvaccinated nurses leave (though obviously I’m one that thinks all HCW would be better off vaccinated - for themselves, patients, and community). It’s going to get worse here.

The hospital where my mom is now, the second one, seems fine. There’s a calm vibe, not the frantic, chaotic vibe of overworked staff. It’s a relief.

In our state, there are very narrow parameters for those HCWs who want to stay unvaccinated.  They have to have a medical or religious exemption and you can't just "say" that you have one of those.  (The medical one has certain requirements but I haven't been able to find the specifics on the religious one to see how much of a loophole this might provide - though I did see one article saying that they will be questioned as to whether their religious belief is against all vaccines for all illnesses or if it's just for Covid).  But the bottom line is that for most people in this state, they have to decide if they want to stay in healthcare or not.  And if they do want to stay in healthcare, then they will have to move to another state. 

[Spryte]

1 hour ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

In our state, there are very narrow parameters for those HCWs who want to stay unvaccinated.  They have to have a medical or religious exemption and you can't just "say" that you have one of those.  (The medical one has certain requirements but I haven't been able to find the specifics on the religious one to see how much of a loophole this might provide - though I did see one article saying that they will be questioned as to whether their religious belief is against all vaccines for all illnesses or if it's just for Covid).  But the bottom line is that for most people in this state, they have to decide if they want to stay in healthcare or not.  And if they do want to stay in healthcare, then they will have to move to another state. 

I will certainly feel more comfortable in a healthcare setting when we know that they are all vaccinated.

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

We’ve had problems forever locally with finding short term psych beds.  We have one local 38 bed crisis unit and it’s always full. That means people wind up going 2-5 hours away(by ambulance and we’re already short crews) for short term crisis psychiatric stabilization.  
The director let us know that they are dropping to 17 beds in two weeks.  They have so many RNs and LPNs that are refusing to get vaccinated and so won’t be able to work past the deadline, and they honestly just aren’t getting nursing applications so they’re closing a wing of the unit.  The end result is that people who are in need of crisis stabilization will wind up discharged because there are no psychiatric beds available.  
There are so many consequences to everything.  I personally expect we’ll see a localized suicide and suicide attempt spike.

The hospital I primarily bring patients to has been suffering a nursing shortage for years, and they are now projected to lose 10% of their RNs and 30% of their CNAs.  They are overflowing now with patients as is everyone—the other night the ER was looking 6 to 7 hours away to find a hospital that would accept a patient with a dental abscess who needed surgery and IV antibiotics.  I am not usually gloom and doom and I’m one who believes we have to coexist now with Covid and it’s life, but the healthcare system is collapsing around me.

Edited September 6, 2021 by Mrs Tiggywinkle

[Spryte]

On 9/2/2021 at 4:20 PM, prairiewindmomma said:

Our experience with a broken pelvis (we’ve had three in our elderly family members):

1. They have to have enough cognitive awareness to comply with rehab exercises to qualify for rehab. Otherwise they will get PT in a nursing home.

2. The complication rate is high. I don’t want to be a downer on this, but with the first break I didn’t have a sense of scope of what a big deal it is. All of my relatives made it out of the hospital and through the rehab or nursing home care, but not everyone does. One relative did have a small stroke as a complication. Type C fractures (rotationally and vertically unstable pelvic ring fractures) have a much higher mortality and co-morbidity rate. 
 

3. Although they will tell you 6-12 weeks for healing, recovery extended out to 15 in one relative. 
 

Hugs!! 

Coming back to this with some questions, if you are comfortable with answering. Please don’t feel pressured to share anything sensitive.

Do you recall how quickly things moved with regard to your relatives being able to even participate in rehab? Was there a lengthy lying-in-bed-unable-to-move period first? 

We are on Day 10, and my mom has been moved to rehab/nursing. She looks so much worse now than she did in the hospital. She is still completely unable to move on her own. Her cognitive skills have declined. We have a care plan meeting next week, so I hope for more info then, but in the meantime … I’m not feeling optimistic. It’s devastating, and my heart is heavy. 
 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

54 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Coming back to this with some questions, if you are comfortable with answering. Please don’t feel pressured to share anything sensitive.

Do you recall how quickly things moved with regard to your relatives being able to even participate in rehab? Was there a lengthy lying-in-bed-unable-to-move period first? 

We are on Day 10, and my mom has been moved to rehab/nursing. She looks so much worse now than she did in the hospital. She is still completely unable to move on her own. Her cognitive skills have declined. We have a care plan meeting next week, so I hope for more info then, but in the meantime … I’m not feeling optimistic. It’s devastating, and my heart is heavy. 
 

 

This is all normal based on our experiences. Pelvic fractures don’t even really start to heal for a month. She’s gone through a second shift in 10 days (home to hospital, hospital to rehab). Guard your optimism, stay realistic, but don’t give up hope. This really is a 3-4 month recovery at best. 
 

If you need a lot of lead time to find a nursing home, I would consider starting scouting now. I am an immensely practical person, though, and I feel better if plans are in place for every contingency. I am not saying this is the likely or inevitable outcome but there is a chance she won’t return home.
 

 

Edited September 11, 2021 by prairiewindmomma

[Indigo Blue]

Spryte, when my MIL broke her hip, she went from hospital to rehab. She wasn’t able to do much for several weeks. I had doubts she would be able to recover. She’s in her 80’s. She did slowly make progress. She went home. She used a wheel chair for awhile, then a walker. One of her grandchildren lives with her, so she has help. These days, she is up doing things. She’s not as strong as before the fall, but I didn’t know at first if she would even be doing as good as she is now. It does seem to take a long time. I’m so sorry to hear this. I really hope she can make good progress in the coming weeks. 

[Spryte]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

This is all normal based on our experiences. Pelvic fractures don’t even really start to heal for a month. She’s gone through a second shift in 10 days (home to hospital, hospital to rehab). Guard your optimism, stay realistic, but don’t give up hope. This really is a 3-4 month recovery at best. 
 

If you need a lot of lead time to find a nursing home, I would consider starting scouting now. I am an immensely practical person, though, and I feel better if plans are in place for every contingency. I am not saying this is the likely or inevitable outcome but there is a chance she won’t return home.
 

 

Thank you. That gives some perspective. And hope.

I suppose, too, I should remember she’s had three - maybe four - moves since the break, since it was such an abnormal experience. Ugh. Home to overcrowded hospital, home (to driveway), driveway/home to second hospital, hospital to rehab. Ouch. I’m sure that compounds things. 

She is in a skilled nursing rehab facility, which does long term care as well. I will ask about the possibility of shifting to the LTC side at our care plan meeting, and hopefully if that must happen they can squeeze her in. If not, I will start the process of looking for a placement. And Medicaid, since she will need that. 

[Spryte]

1 hour ago, Indigo Blue said:

Spryte, when my MIL broke her hip, she went from hospital to rehab. She wasn’t able to do much for several weeks. I had doubts she would be able to recover. She’s in her 80’s. She did slowly make progress. She went home. She used a wheel chair for awhile, then a walker. One of her grandchildren lives with her, so she has help. These days, she is up doing things. She’s not as strong as before the fall, but I didn’t know at first if she would even be doing as good as she is now. It does seem to take a long time. I’m so sorry to hear this. I really hope she can make good progress in the coming weeks. 

Thank you. It helps to hear about your MIL’s progression. I so hope my mom can similarly recover. 

Our home is really not set up for elder care. We have (beautiful) curving hardwood stairs, and nothing but a tiny powder room on the main level, so those beastly, treacherous stairs are a required evil. I can’t imagine getting her up the stairs right now. It’s just … daunting. All of it.

[TexasProud]

My big question is this... how active was she before this? The people that I have seen recover from catastrophic injuries like this are ones that were very, very active beforehand. The more sedentary they were, the harder it will be. 

[Harriet Vane]

Spryte, I'm so sorry your poor mom is going through this. It's hard to walk with her on such a painful journey. Holding you and your mom in prayer today.

[TexasProud]

And it will take time. Was thinking of you a lot last weekend when my sister was wandering around the ER trying to find our mom.  Praying for you and your mom!

[Spryte]

On 9/11/2021 at 5:32 PM, TexasProud said:

And it will take time. Was thinking of you a lot last weekend when my sister was wandering around the ER trying to find our mom.  Praying for you and your mom!

Thank you. You and your mom have been on my mind, too.

My mom’s care team is moving forward with long term care plans. They don’t anticipate that she will achieve her previous level of modified independence again. They told me on Monday, and began moving her to LTC yesterday. I have not told my mom, yet, and am not sure how to address it. Need to process my own grief first.

 

[TexasProud]

2 hours ago, Spryte said:

Thank you. You and your mom have been on my mind, too.

My mom’s care team is moving forward with long term care plans. They don’t anticipate that she will achieve her previous level of modified independence again. They told me on Monday, and began moving her to LTC yesterday. I have not told my mom, yet, and am not sure how to address it. Need to process my own grief first.

 

Oh Spryte.. I am sorry. Will be praying for wisdom as you figure out how to talk to her.