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I have read all the emails regarding PD patients in nursing homes and agree with all of you. My mom was diagnosed about 10 years ago with PD. She has been fine up until my dad passed away in December 2001. She is 77 years old and is currently living in a nursing home/rehabilitation center. It all started when she fell one night trying to get out of bed, she was taken to the hospital and hasn't recovered since. That was about 5 months ago. She is mentally alert, the only problem she has (the one keeping her in the home) is that she can't walk. The muscles in her ankles tightened up from the PD so she is confined to a wheelchair. I totally agree with Carole Menser as I've experienced the same issues with my mom's facility. I've had many fights with CNAs who seem bothered by the fact they have to keep taking my mom to the bathroom. I almost took one of them outside and whooped her ass when she "sucked her teeth" at me. My mom has pushed the buzzer for the nurse and it's taken someone up to 20 minutes to come check on her. Usually when I'm visiting her, I take her to the bathroom myself because it's just easier than waiting for someone. The hard part is she lives in MA and I live in VA. My brother lives in MA and visits her everyday but can't take care her full time. I've thought of moving back home to care for her but I can't do it myself. If we can't trust nursing homes to care for PD patients, what can we do? I would love for my mom to be at home with a 24 hour nurse but isn't that expensive? ****************** Kim DaRosa Investor Relations & Marketing Assistant JER Partners >1650 Tysons Boulevard >Suite 1600 >McLean, VA 22102 >(703)714-8064 (direct) >(703)714-8141 (fax) [log in to unmask] ****************** -----Original Message----- From: Bill Lawless [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 12:48 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Nursing Home for PWP Since PWP are usually mentally alert though physically stricken. The better solution is care in the home. Having workers come for either full care or specific tasks is best and probably less expensive. Check your insurance coverage and the state laws and regulations, check all resources and coverage early in the game . My experience with Nursing Facilities is that they are very good ($$$), good ($$), or poor ($). In any case you must establish early that you expect proper treatment and capable staff. Mostly by showing up at all hours of the day and night to check and when things are not to your specs , then complain in writing or directly to the head person (let the staff know you have the boss's cell phone number and will use it). High rates only make the objective possible not automatic. Nursing Facilities do carry a double burden, highly regulated and under stiff economic pressure.The "bad apples" in the field have created a lot of rules that burden the good guys. They are hard to staff and often must accept less qualified help than they would like. Good care starts with good supervision and reasonable expectation in the amount of work one person can do in eight hours. CHECK OUT at least three facilities over a month period before deciding on a long term care site. It might pay to hire a consultant in the field to recommend the three sites. Regards, Bill Lawless [Ergo hoc, ergo propter hoc!] a logical - Original Message ----- From: Larry Wilson To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 6:58 PM Subject: Nursing Home for PWP This is Larry Wilson...one more time...and I am closing. I will not be sending or receiving messages after this one. And thank you to the many that sent condolences. I just got back from the funeral. For those that are thinking of putting a loved one into the nursing home...don't. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn