Claudia wrote: Mom is still at the hospital in the Neurosurgical ICU. I spoke to the nurse today and she said the staff was debating doing another spinal tap since mom is so sleepy. They will check the schedule to see if she will be able to get the shunt in the beginning of the week but if there is a wait then they may do another spinal tap. The TV was on TV Land and Leave it to Beaver was on. Con asked mom, “What’s Beaver’s brother’s name?” Mom said, “Wally.” Con asked her, “What is the mother’s name?” She said, “June.” Con asked about Wally’s friend and said, “Eddie…” and mom said, “Haskell.”
The doctor came in and said they are going to give mom the shunt tomorrow, Monday, in the OR as an add in. She will NOT get the spinal tap now that they are scheduling the shunt for tomorrow. The procedure takes 45 minutes to an hour. She will then be moved to the respiratory care unit if there is an open bed there. After the procedure, she will be put on more antibiotics as a preventative. She can be released from the hospital anywhere from 4-7 days after the procedure depending on how she does.
Kathy wrote: Con, Anthony, Claudia and I went to look at facilities for mom. The social worker at the hospital told us to do this since the facility mom was in has no beds open as of last week. We have to pick our top, ranked, 5 facilities from a list the hospital gave us for people on vents.
Facility #1 was awful!!!!! From the outside and the inside, I had goose bumps the whole time and couldn't imagine putting one of my pets much less our mom there!!! It was filthy. I wanted to wash the soles of my shoes when we left. It reminded me of Willowbrook!!! The patient to staff ratio was 1 RN and 6 CNAs to 29-34 vent patients. 2 respiratory people who are only there from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and don't work together (1 respiratory person per 30-34 people). The rooms were closet sized and dirty. The place gave me the creeps. We later heard from a person in another facility that this facility does drug deals!!! Good Lord.
Facility #2 was the exact opposite!!! We all loved it. A warm, homey feeling. Very small...only 100 patients total. Created by a family whose loved one needed a facility. Family atmosphere among the staff. Very comfortable place. Clean---the floors shined (much like where mom is now at the facility she is in). Only 1 respiratory therapist but only 10 vent patients. Some rooms are private, some have 2 people, some have 4 people. Everyone supposedly gets every therapy available!! We plan to meet with the respiratory and physical and occupational therapists this week. Two RNs and 4-5 CNAs for the 20 patients in that wing or unit. (Where mom is now, there are 2 RNs, 2LPNs, 6-7 CNAs to 20 patients and there are 5-6 respiratory therapists 7 a.m. thru 7 p.m. then there are 2-3 respiratory therapists from 7 p.m. thru 7 a.m.--best coverage). Doctor in house 5 days a week and Saturday mornings and some Sunday mornings. Pulmonologist as needed.
Facility #3 was much the same looking as where mom is now...but there is only 1 RN, 2LPNs and 3-4 CNAs to 30 patients. One respiratory therapist with the same hours as facility #2...not full time. Rooms were nice size, facility was clean. Staffing was the issue here.
None of the facilities had the staff to patient ratio or the respiratory staff to patient ratio or the monitors in the hallways and at the stations, or the size of the rooms like where mom is now.
We are going to see another facility this week that was recommended by a person in Facility #2.
Please pray all goes well with the shunt tomorrow. Please pray for wisdom as we choose the best facility for mom, even if that means she goes back to where she was.
As for God, His way is perfect! Psalm 18:30
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