The morning that Mom was to be transferred from the acute rehab facility to the memory care assisted living facility was stressful. The social workers from both facilities had been organizing the transfer for a couple of weeks, so you would think it would go smoothly. It started off when I arrived at the hospital and found Mom still in bed eating breakfast. The ambulance was supposed to arrive in 40 minutes!
As I tried to get her dressed, she began questioning me about where she was going. She had apparently forgotten the details I had previously shared with her about the new place. She had been happy at St. David’s. She was confused and thought I was taking her back to the old skilled nursing facility. She got very upset and it took much assuring to calm her down.
The ambulance attendant arrived a little early with a gurney. I questioned him as to the need of a stretcher, and he said that was what they were told was necessary. A wheelchair transfer would have been less expensive, but that was not what was requested. He wanted to know about the responsible party for payment. That subject had never come up before. I had expected that the transportation to the assisted living facility would be complimentary with the prices they charged. That was not the case! Mom did have to pay for that ambulance ride, which cost about $800.
Since we are talking about costs, it would be important to point out here that assisted living places do not provide beds and wheelchairs. The social workers made arrangements for Mom to have an adjustable bed and a wheelchair with accessories delivered to her new room. Medicare will pay for this type of equipment; however, they will only rent them. You cannot just buy one outright unless you pay for it yourself. An adjustable bed from a medical supply place typically rents for about $135/mo. and a wheelchair for about $75/mo. You will own them after about 12-18 months of rentals. If you do the math, the end cost of the adjustable bed costs $1620 – $2430 and the wheelchair costs $900 – $1350 . If you go online, one can buy a similar bed for $700-$1200 and the wheelchair for $120. This is why any government supported medical programs are in a crisis. In a later post, I will tell you more about the charges to Medicare from the skilled nursing facility. It will blow your mind!
Once Mom was on her way to the new place, I went ahead to meet her there. I had expected a whole team of people to greet her as she arrived. The reality was exactly the opposite. I had to chase down someone to help direct us and soon discovered that they were not ready for her. Her bed and wheelchair had not been delivered and no one had any idea of their status. The ambulance attendants placed Mom in a chair in the common area and left. An hour or so later, we were told that some of the items ordered for Mom had been back-ordered. The bed was on a truck and should be arriving that afternoon. They found a wheelchair she could use temporarily and suggested we go into the main dining hall and have lunch while we waited. Two hours later, her bed arrived.
In the next blog, I will tell you more about life in assisted living. The pros and the cons.
