So my 91-year-old Mom has COVID.

[Liberty Belle]

She tested positive today, so far no symptoms, but the care facility she's in is moving her to a different room in a wing with 2 other COVID patients. She is vaxxed and boosted.

Mom has dementia and won't understand any of this. She was just starting to feel comfortable in her room there, and now she can't get physical therapy, or activities, or see any family members.

The facility did everything right to try and keep COVID out. All workers, even visiting nurses, had to be vaccinated and boosted. All visitors lately had to wear N-95 masks. They locked out visitors when a staffer tested positive but since then several more have tested positive, including staff and residents. Omicron is so contagious, it seems there's no way to stop it.

Since Mom had a bad fall and was hospitalized when a previously facility put her in room lockdown during a COVID outbreak, this is so stressful. I felt I had no choice to keep her safe but to hire an outside caregiving service for the next 2 weeks. There is one caregiver willing to sit with COVID patients at a high hourly rate and you have to pay her salary for the full 2 weeks since she can't be around anyone else. But better than having Mom fall trying to get up; she's previously had a broken back, sternum, twisted ankle and head injury because she can't remember that she can't walk unassisted and cannot be left alone during the day; normally she is in the activity room and observed during the day and given something at night to help her sleep.

Does anyone know if there's any sort of program to get reimbursed for this cost needed to keep her safe?

I am so furious with the anti-vax, anti-mask morons that are keeping this pandemic going and incubating new variants.

[blm]

1. ((Liberty))

[onecaliberal]

2. Hugs.

[luvs2sing]

3. I'm so sorry.

Big to you.

[Tanuki]

4. I will pray for her safety and recovery. Anyone who has had a loved one

with dementia can empathize with what you, and she, are going through.

[niyad]

5. Oh, liberty, I am so very sorry that you and your mom are going through this. Sending

vibes for healing and strength and endurance for both of you.

[robbedvoter]

6. Similar story with my 93 yo MIL. She did have some stomach symptoms

so they took her to the hospital, the returned her to the care facility two days later. Everyone there is in lockdown, no commo activities for a week or more, Several residents and staff have it. No scheduled test/information from them. Same thing about schedule. No visitors allowed. Same sentiment about the antivaxxers.

[Liberty Belle]

21. I'm glad your Mom recovered.

There seems to be no end to this nightmare.

[AllaN01Bear]

7. this makes me so mad that the idiots dont belive in masks and or vaxx.:(

this is why i get vaxxed and mask up. i would really feel guilty if i gave your gma covid. i wanna bring this moster down to 0 . goose egg. but the idiots wont help.

[Ms. Toad]

8. Omicron is crazy contagious.

I'm the most careful person I now - and I likely had it just before Christmas.

I can still count on 10 fingers the number of times I've eaten indoors with people who do not live with me since March 2020. Never stopped masking. Test regularly.

I do continue living in this world, but never outside of my home without a well-fitted close-weave mask (and now KN94s).

I never tested positive (not even with a PCR test), but my daughter who had identical (but enhanced) symptoms 6 days later tested positive. (And I'm now past her contagious period without getting it - and I was fairly well exposed to her during that time so if I didn't give it to her she most likey got it from me.

Sorry about your mom - and I'm furious, too.

[Liberty Belle]

15. I'm glad you recovered.

I've heard that it sometimes takes longer for Omicron to show on tests and also that throat swabs are more accurate with Omicron, though Mom had a nasal swab test. You could ask to have a blood test to see if you had COVID, which might set your mind at ease over fearing every exposure in the next few weeks, though even having the disease doesn't offer long-term protection now.

[Ms. Toad]

19. Unless Medicare pays for (likely) a very expensive test to

distinguish between vaccine-induced antibodies and disease-induced ones, it will remain a medical mystery.

After I had a PCR test at the peak of my symptoms, the FDA identified three PCR tests which looked for parts of genes which omicron mutated out - which were expected to have higher than average false negatives. My guess is that I was tested using one of those tests (or another not yet identified). The FDA announcement was 6 days after my swab, and 3 days before my daughter's.

[TygrBright]

9. This is very similar to my Mom's situation.

Although her health is good, the ongoing "now we can eat in the dining room, now we have to stay in our apartments and let the staff bring meals" changes have been very difficult for her, and the isolation and stress are very difficult.

I hope you find an option to help your Mom get the care she needs. I'll be holding you both in my heart.

lovingly,
Bright

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. :What a great person you are to do this for your mom.

Last edited Mon Jan 10, 2022, 10:27 PM - Edit history (1)

I have not heard of any programs that reimburse for covid expense. But I will look tomorrow.

On edit:. I found no program related to covid. Reimbursement for rent and student loans and a couple other things but not private nurse . Medicare pays for up to 21 days of in home nursing but it's "in home" and I didn't see where this applied to in a facility. But you could call them? Good luck.

[Liberty Belle]

16. Thank you for checking. This is a gap that ought to get filled one of these days.

At least Mom has savings so we were able to do this for her, albeit draining down her resources. I really feel for patients of families who cannot do this. It's inhumane to leave seniors with dementia all alone on room lockdown.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

17. Just an idea. Can you get the relatives of the other two covid

patients to share expense? And what about the facility itself. What is their plan to staff that wing? After all it was their fault that your mom wasn't protected and caught covid. Strikes me that they should be more than willing to staff up or maybe partially reimburse?

I know exactly what you mean. My dad had dementia and every fall he had was because he forgot he couldn't get up and walk on his own.

[orleans]

18. regarding what laura pourmeadrink said...

medicare will pay for "in home" nursing--
here's the thing: that facility IS her home
she lives there, she gets mail there, she sleeps and eats there--it IS her home
they have your mom isolated in a room? she needs a caregiver!
please call medicare -- if they won't help have them tell you where you can find help.

another thought: a gofund me?

i've never set one up before but--- just a thought.

really sorry to hear about this going on with your mom.

[Liberty Belle]

22. I fucking hate Medicare. Now they cut out her physical therapy completey;

Not due to COVID, they found I'd been supplementing their meager once-a-week session with extra PT I paid for our of pocket, so decided to eliminate even the once-a-week they were paying for, which isn't nearly enough. she used to get 3 times a week and has gotten weaker ever since they eliminated that.

This torture of the elderly is cruel and sickening, and is bankrupting families.

[Maru Kitteh]

11. I am incensed that a nation that dares call itself "great" allows our elders

and their families to face this kind of crushing burden without support.

I so wish I had something much more meaningful than by heartfelt wishes to offer you. I am sorry.

[COL Mustard]

12. Thanks antivaxxers

The continuing pandemic is on you.

Liberty, I’m sorry for your Mom.

[electric_blue68]

13. So, disgusting. Hope she recovers fully. You take care of yourself, too!

[LoisB]

14. I am so sorry about your mom. I feel your frustration with these morons. They don't make sense.

[AmBlue]

20. I feel your pain.

My mom is 89 and has CLL leukemia and dementia and lives with me. Her dementia is getting really bad and everything is a challenge. She can still eat and walk with assistance but that's about it. Because of her CLL and covid we haven't even considered ALFs. Her immune-compromised state makes her very vulnerable.

I did learn that once the dementia is advanced enough to qualify them for hospice care, Medicare pays 100% for nursing visits and you get a team assigned that includes a social worker. My SIL's dad just passed away of dementia and had this care for a year and a half at no cost to her dad. Have you checked out if she qualifies for these resources?

It is so sad that our country doesn't provide support for our elders and those of us who are caregivers are on our own.

[Liberty Belle]

23. Mom can't live at home or with us because she's in a wheelchair, and our house has stairs

even to get in the front door. We kept her at home for a long time because we didn't want to put her into a facility with COVID lockdowns but the choice was taken away from us when she fell and broke her back and sternum.

No doctor has declared her within 6 months of end of life, so we can't even get hospice care.

It truly is a nightmare. I'm glad you have some help for your Mom, and understand what a difficult time this is for you.

[AmBlue]

24. I'm so sorry

...for what you're going through. I know it is just gut-wrenching.