My mother has been in a Nursing Home in Virginia over 1 year now and her health has declined. First she was in admitted into the Rehab portion due to falls she had at home. She was in independent living in a beautiful apartment and she had personal care aides to come in daily to help her with meals, dressing, companion and medication reminder. The issue was the aides were not dependable, whereas, there were a lot of different aides coming in. Having different aids in her home made myself and mom uncomfortable. Therefore, when she went into Rehab, she enjoyed the company, activity, etc. so she wanted to stay. When she went in, mom was walking with a rollator and used her cellular phone to call me everyday. Unfortunately, she did have covid 19. However, Thank God she recovered from Covid 19. As you know, all Nursing homes and facilies is locked down from visitors. At the facility, the family can make an appointment to see her. She has been hospitalized 3 times in the last month. Since she's been in the nursing home, they said she been havng seizures, thyroid level out of rack, and she sleep all the time now and cannot walk. When I did visit her this week, she talked somewhat, but, she was knoding off and on. Her primary care person is a Nurse Practioner who just graduated in 2017, therefore, I feel she does not have the experience to be in charge of the care for someone who has dementia, heart failure and other health issues. I did talk with the doctor, who coordinate with the NP when she has a question. He stated that the NP is mainly in charge of mom's care and he only steps in when she needs him to answer a question. The doctor said that the medication they described should have been for a short term and they had her on the medication to long. The issues she is having is coming from the side effects of the medication. This week, they took her completely off of that medication, so I am hoping that will make a change in her ability to get back to her base line. Also, I have talked with the social worker at the facility and she stated that the only way I can take the NP from my mother's care is to find another Health care insurance. Mom's health insurance now is United Health Care which provides Nurse Practitioners in Nursing Homes. I did not know that the Nurse Practitioner will be her main Primary Care doctor in the nursing home. I thought the NP would have a MD over her at the facility. I am trying to research for another Medicaid Health Plan for my mother. It would be greatly appreciated, if anyone can advise me of a good Health Plan for my mother.
Thanks in advance.
Ann