#WOW: Ohio House Aging Committee is hearing testimony on a bill to allow family members to be “essential caregivers” for nursing home patients.
Lynn Meldon says she’s seen her 94-year-old mom in her nursing home, for a total of 70 minutes since March.
Lynn Meldon says she’s seen her 94-year-old mom in her nursing home, for a total of 70 minutes since March.
Lynn says at one point her mother fell down: “How bad is it, that when the nursing home called to tell me...I almost hoped my mom was hurt bad enough, so that I could go visit her in the emergency room?”
Lynn Meldon: “They are slowly dying from isolation, not COVID.”
Here’s my previous explainer on HB 770👇
https://twitter.com/GeoffWSYX6/status/1334532349023965184
Lynn Meldon is asked what tasks she would perform as an “essential caregiver”: “I just want to spend time with her...they (nursing home staff) are great, but they’re not me.
She can’t get her hair done, she can’t get Panera. I’m just — any little small thing I can do.”
She can’t get her hair done, she can’t get Panera. I’m just — any little small thing I can do.”
Mark Knepper of @VITAS Healthcare in Columbus testifies; an amendment would allow his staff to enter nursing homes for pain management & other services.
“We help augment staff & provide socialization...not only for patients, but for families. Sometimes we’re the only conduit.”
“We help augment staff & provide socialization...not only for patients, but for families. Sometimes we’re the only conduit.”
Dr. Joette Greenstein w/ @VITAS: “This is the first time in 25 years I have not been able to make housecall visits with my patients.”
She’s holding a photo of patient “LM”; they saw each other last week through a window. She says she can’t advocate or care correctly that way.
She’s holding a photo of patient “LM”; they saw each other last week through a window. She says she can’t advocate or care correctly that way.
Dr. Greenstein’s team provides extra care that facilities cannot: helping feed patients, enabling FaceTime visits, retrieving necessary items like glasses.
“The majority of patients are dying early — not because of COVID.” She says they’re losing weight, enduring depression, etc
“The majority of patients are dying early — not because of COVID.” She says they’re losing weight, enduring depression, etc
Dr. Greenstein says she’s filled out more death certificates for patients in 2020 than any other year of her career — “I just filled one out this morning before coming here.”
To be clear: Dr. Greenstein & team provide in-home hospice; that includes when the patient’s “home” is a nursing home.
So they’re tasked with providing comfort care to those at the end of their life — though sometimes that leads to improvement in the patients’ condition.
So they’re tasked with providing comfort care to those at the end of their life — though sometimes that leads to improvement in the patients’ condition.
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