A Post ICU Dilemma about Dad
This week’s question has two parts:
Q1: My dad finally got out of trauma ICU after 13 days. He is slowly improving but can’t feed himself, eat, sit up or really anything by himself. Mom said he was talking about being released to a rehab hospital tomorrow–that sounds absurd! What can you tell me?
A: Once your dad is medically stable, the acute care hospital will move him out of as quickly as possible.
He will need strong rehab to get used to simply being upright again; are they getting him out of bed sitting in a chair? Even so, standing will make the blood pressure drop and make the person feel lousy until they readjust. Is the staff moving his limbs for him so they don’t tighten up? Is he in pain?
Will your mom get to look at places before they transfer him? If he’s going to a Sheltering Arms type hospital, that’s encouraging because it means they think he can tolerate therapy.
Q2: Pain-yes. And he is not sitting in a chair or his bed, nor is he standing. They are moving his limbs. The hospital hasn’t spoken with my mom about what rehab hospital to send him to…they are talking to dad, which for many reasons, is not a good idea. Mom is calling the hospital to get some answers- I told her to keep talking to people until she gets some answers.
Thanks Coleen, i really appreciate it 
A2:
1. The staff must manage his pain or he’s not going to move
2. They need to start sitting him on the side of the bed to let his legs dangle… our bodies “forget” how to respond to gravity and the blood rushes to our legs instead of our brains and we fall over. It’s tougher on older folks because the sensors in the blood vessels are less sensitive and react more slowly. So they feel worse and are more likely to fall, but the only “cure” is advancing time upright.
3. Your mom and dad can ask the staff to put a note on the chart to make sure she’s present when they discuss the plan of care… (whether at the hospital or rehab hospital); providers sometimes move too fast and talk to the patient who may be with it enough to talk in the here and now, but not remember it later or make good decisions without help. And that’s not just older folks, that’s any of us.
4. Kudos to you and your mom for advocating and caring for him… I know this isn’t easy… available anytime if you need me!!
—Coleen
March 17th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
[...] control, we as believers must rest, trusting that we’re safe in the loving arms of the Father. …Blog – Coleen P. Kenny Blog Archive A Post ICU Dilemma …If he’s going to a Sheltering Arms type hospital, that’s encouraging because it means they think he [...]