Since when is this abandonment?
On Monday, my grandmother had her other knee replaced and was released to a rehab center on Thursday. When we visited her 3 hours after her arrival, the complaints started. The decor sucked, she couldn't have a walker or wheelchair, the TV channel selection sucked (even though there was cable, she wasn't able to watch her precious Fox News), it was full of old people. My response was, "It's not the Ritz, but rehab for old people like you. You gotta wait for tomorrow morning to see if the physical therapist says it's okay to have a wheelchair or walker." Then she goes on to say that she is only staying there 7 days. My mother cuts in saying that if she decides to leave, she has to set up to have nurses help her at least 8 hours a day and we won't be able to come over everyday due to my dad's chemo, maybe once a week for a couple hours. After talking to somebody else, she was horrified that we couldn't take care of her. She was saying that we are abandoning her and that's against the law and we are honor bound to take care of her. I brought her up short and told her that it's only abandonment if we had POA or guardianship (which we don't have) and with how badly we have been treated by her in the past, we are not honor bound to care for her. I asked her if she bothered to help her brother with taking care of her mother. The answer was no, they live in England. My retort was, instead of jetting off to Costa Rica or all these cruises, she could have gone to England to help instead. What makes her think that we are abandoning my grandmother? She is still competent and can make her own desicions.
Also, you can't both refuse to give people any authority to act for you AND insist that they take responsibility for you. One or t'other. She chose the former.
But, hey, it's fine. She's safe in rehab and going nowhere until there's a discharge plan that you make sure you and your mother are NOT included in. Take grapes, give her a kiss, run like the wind. If she wants to catch you she'll have to work bloody hard at that PT, won't she?
Clearly it is not abandonment (and wouldn't be even if you had POA). She seems to be full of anxiety at the loss of control that being in this new environment is bringing. I agree with the advice here. Visit if you can, bring a flower or some candy wish her well and off you go. We can only control our reactions to others, not their behavior. I would encourage your mom not to engage in argumentative back and forth.
Smile, say "oh, I'm sorry you are upset with______" nod your head and then wrap it up and go.
The smile and "oh, I'm sorry ______ is bothering you" approach takes the wind out of the complainers sails. If you argue she feels the need to come up with more complaints.
Best of luck,
Margaret
I think Medicare only covers three weeks but I am not sure about that but 7 days is definitely not long enough.
Not sure I agree with Barb that this is agitation and anxiety, it sounds more like being mad because she can't get her own way which is to sit home and have everyone wait on her hand and foot. However having said that some medication of the tranquiizing variety may make her more compliant.
I do have sympathy with her if she still has all her marbles it is very depressing to be stuck in a facility with a bunch of residents who sadly can no longer participate remind her that she is there for rehab and will get out the sooner she works hard at her PT.
Can you bring her in something to replace the TV. Can she manage a laptop? If so she can come to aging care and whine!
Did your mom not go to be with grandma during the needs assessment? You do realize that she told the woman everything was fine and she had no need of help, right? And that she most likely said "oh, I have family who will do that for me!"
Is your mom willing to keep up the charade of grandma's "independence" at the expense of her own life?
Gma's plan was for your mother to take her to mom's house and wait on her hand and foot.
A week after a knee replacement you can't do much for yourself. Your are dependent on a walker to move around and get to the bathroom. You need help with bathing. Two hands on walker mean you can't carry food or drink even a short distance. Can't do laundry, answer the door, pick up the mail, go to the Dr. or go to the pharmacy to pick up pain meds. The list goes on and on. No that is not what Gma planned. "Someone was supposed to stay with her or take her to their own home to provide TLC at no cost to Gma.
Shame on rehab for letting her leave without notifying authorities what she was about to do, but then her exit was facilitated, they probably were told the family would step up.
Let us know what happened. I for one am dying of curiosity, but then I am a nosy old woman.
No, you are not abandoning her. You are refusing to give her substandard care.
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