ijan01
03-03-2003, 04:10 PM
Hi all. I'm new to this site and to this whole topic since December 26, 2002. On that day my father had an accident on a construction site and as you all know too well, his life and my family's lives have changed dramatically since then.
He's in a rehab hospital in Iowa. Is being weaned off the vent and is paralyzed from the neck down. We have some doubts about this facility being able to really deal with someone at his level of needs but workman's comp is balking at moving him. Our family wants to get him to the Rehab Institute in Chicago and the local doctor has written a statement approving that transfer, but workman's comp says no.
Does anyone have suggestions for us on getting them to change their minds? We're concerned that he isn't getting enough stimulus where he is and that if any mobility or sensation is possibly going to return, it would be more likely to happen in a more proactive rehab program. I question many things about his current treatment in both breathing and other rehab.
For example, while the ventilator hasn't been set to give him oxygen for a couple weeks, it has been providing extra push for his breathing. So Saturday (when of course the therapy staff is at minimal level) they decided to just shut the vent off for the whole day. He was totally exhausted and finally a third shift nurse put it back on for the night. Is that really the way something like this should be handled? What about the weaning/increasing time approach that is what I seem to read about as standard procedure?
And then there's the chair issue. A custom chair is on order but in the interim, he's being set up for most of the afternoon in the chair the hospital has. The armrests are too low and consequently the weight of his arms is pulling on his neck, back and shoulders which are tight as a knot. He's in misery from this--a farmer who could work outside all day in 20 below weather and never complain is in tears because they are putting him in this chair. Would other facilities have something more adjustable? Or do people just get tortured for the weeks it takes to get a custom chair delivered?
And what about muscle stimulation and massage? He gets about a half hour of stimulation of arms and legs each day with therapist moving and flexing limbs. No massage. This seems pretty minimal to me. He's never been out of his room, never had any other type of muscle stimulation, never talked to another quad who's been through this. . . and Mom isn't getting much formal training on care issues either.
I'm really worried about this and I'm fifteen hours away and trying to kick butt and ask questions and rally Mom to do the same but it's tough.
I've tried to read and visit websites and gather info but any suggestions some of you can provide would be helpful. Especially if you can tell me if we're on the right track in trying to get him into a different facility. And assuming that is the case, any thoughts on dealing with workman's comp would be much appreciated too.
Sorry if this is long and involved even while being very superficial about where we're at right now. But I thought you folks might be understanding.d
He's in a rehab hospital in Iowa. Is being weaned off the vent and is paralyzed from the neck down. We have some doubts about this facility being able to really deal with someone at his level of needs but workman's comp is balking at moving him. Our family wants to get him to the Rehab Institute in Chicago and the local doctor has written a statement approving that transfer, but workman's comp says no.
Does anyone have suggestions for us on getting them to change their minds? We're concerned that he isn't getting enough stimulus where he is and that if any mobility or sensation is possibly going to return, it would be more likely to happen in a more proactive rehab program. I question many things about his current treatment in both breathing and other rehab.
For example, while the ventilator hasn't been set to give him oxygen for a couple weeks, it has been providing extra push for his breathing. So Saturday (when of course the therapy staff is at minimal level) they decided to just shut the vent off for the whole day. He was totally exhausted and finally a third shift nurse put it back on for the night. Is that really the way something like this should be handled? What about the weaning/increasing time approach that is what I seem to read about as standard procedure?
And then there's the chair issue. A custom chair is on order but in the interim, he's being set up for most of the afternoon in the chair the hospital has. The armrests are too low and consequently the weight of his arms is pulling on his neck, back and shoulders which are tight as a knot. He's in misery from this--a farmer who could work outside all day in 20 below weather and never complain is in tears because they are putting him in this chair. Would other facilities have something more adjustable? Or do people just get tortured for the weeks it takes to get a custom chair delivered?
And what about muscle stimulation and massage? He gets about a half hour of stimulation of arms and legs each day with therapist moving and flexing limbs. No massage. This seems pretty minimal to me. He's never been out of his room, never had any other type of muscle stimulation, never talked to another quad who's been through this. . . and Mom isn't getting much formal training on care issues either.
I'm really worried about this and I'm fifteen hours away and trying to kick butt and ask questions and rally Mom to do the same but it's tough.
I've tried to read and visit websites and gather info but any suggestions some of you can provide would be helpful. Especially if you can tell me if we're on the right track in trying to get him into a different facility. And assuming that is the case, any thoughts on dealing with workman's comp would be much appreciated too.
Sorry if this is long and involved even while being very superficial about where we're at right now. But I thought you folks might be understanding.d