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HARDBALL,
I would like some information on how to spread the word about Secure Horizons/Pacific Care. My mother is a resident of California. She lost her husband in Aug. 1999. She went on a trip to Tennessee with her sister to visit with her for a few months, trying to get over her grief. While at her sisters she became ill and was admitted to a hospital and diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and was placed in an ICU unit. During her stay in the ICU area she fell and fractured a vertebra of the spine, which left her in severe pain. The attending physician recommended that she have 20 days in a Skilled Nursing Facility for some daily rehab with Physical Therapy. SECURE HORIZONS DENIED My mother was sent a letter stating that if she stayed any longer in the hospital she would be responsible for her bill because her condition did not constitute a hospital stay. CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE - A FRACTURED VERTEBRA - AND A CATHETER DID NOT CONSTITUTE ANY FURTHER STAY IN THE HOSPITAL? Within 3 weeks my mother developed pneumonia - due to her severe back pain and not being able to get from one place to another without two person assistance she spent a lot of time just laying around. She was readmitted to the hospital. Again
another doctor recommended she get skilled care to regain her strength
so she would be able to take care of her personal needs and in time
to return home, which she desired to do. She has lived in California
CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE - A FRACTURED VERTEBRA - AND A CATHETER - RECOVERING FROM PNEUMONIA - A VERY WEAKENED STATE NOW ------------ DOES NOT CONSTITUTE SKILLED NURSING? SECURE HORIZONS DENIED Within 3 more weeks, during which now my precious mother has become bedfast - being fed, bathed, all personal needs taken care of by her 74 year old sister, is readmitted to the hospital. SEVERE PAIN IN HER BACK. This time she was taken to the Hospital by ambulance and returned home by ambulance due to the fact she cannot sit or stand. The doctor recommended she have Physical Therapy and a nurse' aide in the home. SECURE HORIZONS DENIED DUE TO NOT BEING NECESSARY. When my mother went for her last doctor visit, three of her nephews had to carry her to a van on a kitchen straight chair because she is unable to sit or stand. My mother is 89, granted she is on in years but a brighter, sweeter caring individual, I have never met. The people who made this decision had never seen my mother, never seen how much pain to even embrace her gently, or to lift her onto a bedside potty, or to hand bath her because she had become unable to bath herself, or even clean herself after her bathroom periods. She still had the catheter and spent her days in a hospital bed, having to take pain pills every 4 hours to find any comfort. My blessed Aunt got her off the dam HMO but not before the damage was done. Due to her condition and the pain and the invalid state she had become, her little mind escapes. She does no know where she is, does not know most family members. She did not know me her daughter of 59 years. She never speaks of her husband. My mother did receive some Physical Therapy after she was back on the blessed Medicare, but to little to late. My mother in now in a nursing home in Tennessee, unable to return to her home of 40 years. SECURE HORIZONS/PACIFIC CARE told her she could receive the care she needed if she would return to California. My mother was unable to sit, stand or lay without severe pain. She was on Pain medication 500 mg. Every 4 hours. Hand fed, potty assisted. IF THEY HAD LET HER HAVE THE 20 DAYS OF SKILLED CARE SHE WAS SO IN NEED OF AT THE FIRST SHE WOULD NOW BE HOME. But I am sure not to receive the care they promised to her, because I had the same thing with my step-dad before he died and he never left California. During the time he desperately needed home care because he was so weak my mother had to dress him and assist him with his bathroom needs. Elderly people need to be warned about HMO's. It sounds good to them to not have to pay the 20%, when thy are on a limited income. But the horrible truth is to save the HMO'S money they deny much needed care for these elder's at a time of life they need care, especially when it is URGENTLY NEEDED OR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY which in all cases these were. It
is not possible to pick the time or place anyone will get sick or injured.
Why make an older person suffer needlessly because thy are more than
30 miles from their home. Are the elderly to be kept at home within
What a sad situation when a mileage meter is put on an elder person as the care they receive.
F. J. Sacramento, CA
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