Rehab definitely had it's ups and downs. Overall I think we left today with a good taste in ours mouths.
Things were going pretty well until Sunday. I got there and his room was clean and empty. I asked the nurse what happened to the patient in the room, and she had a serious look on her face and said she needed to talk to me. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat.
She said that Jared had been really defiant all night, getting up without using his call button for help, and it kept setting the bed alarm off. Then, that morning he kept saying he wanted to go home and he was acting upset. So they had to move him to a shared room that had 24-hr supervision.
That didn't make any sense to me. I had been with him the night before and he seemed fine. When I got to his new room, I immediately saw his roommate (who I guessed to be about 80-yrs-old), and then I saw Jared. I wish I could've caught the look on his face on camera. Let's just say he did not look happy!
Jared's brother got there right after me, and we both agreed that this arrangement just wasn't going to work. So we tried to talk to the head nurse. He again told us what had happened (I should add that they hadn't said a word to Jared, they just wheeled him off to another room with no explanation). He made it sound like Jared was trying to break out of the place. Jared said, "No, that's not it." He was trying to explain what happened, but had a hard time because he still has a hard time getting out what he's trying to say. Basically he was trying to tell his nurse he was wanting to get back to his bed, but he was saying home instead of bed. He was saying it wrong, and getting upset because they weren't understanding what he was trying to say. What a bunch of idiots! He's in their facility for speech issues and they're punishing him for it! They wouldn't budge on putting him back. They said he had to use his call button for at least 24 hours before they would consider getting him his own room again.
We spent the afternoon in the main commons area. We watched a football game while those around us were playing cards and dominoes. I tried to catch a picture, but it wasn't great. I felt like I was in a nursing home. It was so depressing that I started to laugh. I couldn't believe it!
That night I told him if he had a hard time sleeping he needed to demand earplugs (knowing he probably wouldn't know how to ask for earplugs). So I went to the hospital on Monday expecting to have to fight for his own room back, and keeping my fingers crossed that he was compliant!
When I got there, I was shocked that he was actually really happy and said that his roommate was a cool guy! He said he didn't care to have his own room. In fact, he didn't even have the curtain closed for privacy. It was one big party!
I spent Monday in rehab with him. They told me if I came and worked with him in rehab it would speed up the process getting him home because we would all be on the same page and they could address my concerns. They taught me how to help him up and down the stairs, something I don't plan to do anytime soon! I'm supposed to stand below him and hold on to his belt when he goes down the stairs. They said if I'm standing right, I will be able to sustain his weight if he starts falling down the stairs. I don't dare to even try to see if they're right. We also went for a long walk, and they showed me how to hold onto his belt to get the most support. Jared said he felt like I was walking my dog. He doesn't like any of this very much.
That afternoon I got to know his roommate and family. They're from Cache Valley, so we had that in common. They were very nice people. The man had a stroke a week earlier and had lived a very active lifestyle before that point. In fact, his wife said if he didn't make it snow skiing this winter, it would just about kill him! He's now my new hero - 78 and still skiing - what a stud! And he must have been about the most social 78-yr-old in Cache Valley because he had nonstop visitors! I actually left that night feeling like Jared had support while I wasn't there, which was nice. They seemed to take good care of Jared.
Yesterday when I got to the hospital, Cheryl (the roommate's wife) told me she had a really cute picture to show me of the two boys. When I saw the picture, I told her that Jared had the same shirt as her husband. Long story short, the dumb nurse put Jared's clothes on his roommate! My brother came to visit right after I saw the picture, and we were both laughing hysterically! I still get a good laugh every time I look at the picture.
Today they released him to come home. He was more than ready to be back home. He's been in the hospital for 2 weeks. I was actually sad as I gave Cheryl a hug goodbye. It seems like you bond quickly with others that are going through similar struggles, regardless of age.
So he's home. I've already given the full lecture on him needing to call me EVERY TIME he gets up. So far, not so good. So one stressful situation ends, and a new one begins. Our big decision now is this: If we use home health care, they don't do much and he is confined to being home, meaning he can't go to family BBQs, football games, activities, NOTHING. The other option would be not to have any help at all, but I am REALLY OVERWHELMED by that option. The third is to have hospice, and they do much more, and he has freedom to go wherever he wants, but insurance won't cover it unless we agree to stop all treatments. I'm not happy with any of the three options, so I'm not quite sure what we're going to do.
