There's Always Something...

that needs attention when you're taking care of someone. If it's not the bandage changes, the diaper changes, the meals, the paperwork, the insurance squabbles, ect. then it's the transportation issues.

Medicaid pays for my husband's 3 trips to dialysis per week. It's a great service and for the most part it works well. But when a change occurs, there's glitches galore!

A week and a half before he was discharged from the nursing facility, I met with the "powers that be" in the dialysis center where he gets "cleaned" to discuss his care plan. I told them at that time he'd be coming home on 4/30/2009. After picking their tongues up off of the floor, they all said, "no problem, we'll help anyway we can, just call us." GREAT!

Another issue that I assumed was handled properly. I'm finding out that's not the case. He's being picked up on the proper days but they're arriving at least an hour late. These centers are on strict time restrictions because of the sheer volume of patients each one treats. A few minutes here and there really throws a wrench into their carefully timed schedules. I've called the company that coordinates his ride each time since he's come home. I called initially the day before his first home pickup to ensure things were in order. Yes, I was told. They knew he was at home and that wouldn't be a problem. The following day they were almost 2 hours late. My daughter called to ask why(I had to work that day so I wasn't at home). She was told the van went to the nursing facility to pick him up not knowing he was at home.

To make a long story short, I've called each time on his dialysis days since and they STILL don't have it right. I was told to have the social worker at the dialysis center to fax over the "new" standing order with our home address on it. I called her last Thursday, May 7th and asked her to please fax the new order for transportation. "Yes..I'll get right on that". Ummm..no she didn't. I had to call them again this morning when they didn't show. The transportation company had the address right, the dispatch service didn't. Can't cut the dispatch out, Medicaid will only pay if we use them. GREAT!

I love this big circle jerk that I've become a part of.