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Mark:

While each situation or facility is different, let me tell you a bit about
our experience with a nursing home last Spring.  My mother had a stroke
early in February.  After 4 days in the hospital, she was moved to a
nursing home/ rehabilitation center.  At this point, the hospital doctors
were off the case.  Her GP took only office visits and we got absolutely no
help when we tried to call that office.  The staff doctor at the nursing
home visited once or twice a week -- we never saw him.  While the rehab
facilities were excellent and the care givers (dressing, eating, bathroom)
did their jobs well, I was a little suspicious of the nursing staff.  They
administered meds on schedule and that seemed to be it, unless I went after
them.  Since I was in Georgia and Mom was in Florida, and Dad was suffering
with shock and, it turns out, the early stages of undiagnosed PD, our
efforts at getting proactive care were hit or miss.  The end result was not
good.  Mom developed serious circulation problems.  We noticed it first
with the edema in her legs and WE had to point this out to the nursing
staff.  Within a week she was back in the hospital with congestive heart
failure and a few days later she was gone.

You can see that I do not have a high opinion of the *medical* care at
nursing homes.  I'm still working out my own guilt and anger, so take that
into account here.  However, if your goal is to get more fine tuning on
your fathers meds, I think you should either fight to keep him where he is
a bit longer, or at least confirm that his neuro will actively treat your
father in the new facility.

Wish you the best.

Jane K., Marietta, GA
Fred's (79/7 mos.) daughter