[Yellowroses]

I am my aunt's health care proxy, power of attorney. My aunt is being cared for by Summit Elder services, which is an all inclusive, encompassing program (health, day care, medication, etc.) She contracted pneumonia on 1/3/12. On 1/3, which was a holiday, I called the program to let them know that I feared my aunt had pneumonia. They insisted I waited another day for her to be seen, but my concern was that since she is 87 years old, a day without medication could be critical to her. I suggested taking her to the ER, but they said no. After much advocating, they agreed to start her on an antibiotic. The next day, Tuesday, 1/4, they said they would send a van to pick her up to have her checked. It was 2 degrees out, and I was concerned that the van would be too stressful and cold for her. I agreed to have someone bring her in, as I work about an hour away from where she lived and was unable to escort her myself. Once seen, an X-ray confirmed she did have pneumonia. I was concerned for her to be alone in her apartment and requested that they put her in a Respite/Nursing Home until she was back on her feet. (Respite is a support service offered at the initial intake of this program). They refused, stating they could take care of the situation, and wanted her to go to the program while she was this ill. My aunt is 87 yrs. Old and very ill, and I felt the strain of getting ready for a day program and a half hour to hour ride on the van would be too much for her. I again advocated for a respite bed. The said they would add service to her at home. Although additional services were to be put in place, this did not happen, and the aides that were in place did not provide any prompting for her to take her antibiotic. (Instructions for the aides were left out on the table with the bottle of medication), for my aunt does not remember to take her medication. To make a long story short, my aunt is currently in the hospital (brought up by ambulance on Sunday 3/8) because the aides dudd not remind her to take the antibiotic she was prescribed. The antibiotic was for 10 days, with the first two pills given at the start. I gave her the first two pills on Monday 1/3 and placed the pill bottle with a note of instruction on the kitchen table, next to her thyroid medication. On Sunday, 1/8, there were still 8 pills in the bottle. My aunt had not received any antibiotic the entire week. My aunt's health has been compromised due to gatekeepers, and I am extremely upset that her needs were not met. She and the State is paying for a program that did not provide her the care she needed, nor even attempt to place her in Respite, which, as stated before, was an option. Please advise how I can now assist in getting my aunt into a Rehab and hopefully get her back on her feet and back into her home, or if necessary into a nursing home. I feel this need is due to their lack of attention to the immediate health and need of an elder. They are now offering a rehab that does not have great reviews. There is a rehab that is close to our home and accessible to family members who could visit. I feel that the emotional support she could receive from family would be detrimental to her recovery at this time.

[tickle]

Your question would be best served by asking where you are located. You are on an international site, possibly every country has a different way of dealing with this particular situation.

I do agree it was not handled properly by the workers employed by this organization. I am a certified Personal Support Worker and a registered nursing Asst. so deal with these situations every day.

Are you possibly from the UK?

If you have POA then getting your aunt into a nursing home should be no problem depending on how much care she needs to rehabilitate her for homecare again.

[awesomagic]

I'm just guessing here, but this sounds like a legal question. You have power of attorney and you want to know what your legal rights are under the law in regards to patient advocacy. You might want to consult an attorney in your area. Again, I'm just guessing, but I would say that laws regarding patient advocacy may differ from state to state. I wish I could be more help, but I would call a lawyer. Many will advise you free of charge.

[Yellowroses]

My aunt and I are in Massachusetts

[Fr_Chuck]

This is a customer driven economy, They are looking at the bottom line of what they can afford to do with the dollars of care received.

If you are unhappy with the service of this firm, fire them and either do the care yourself, or hire a new firm.