I've been in a nursing home for a little over two years now (barring a very short time where I went home for Thanksgiving, year before last). In that time, I have discovered the following:

Nursing homes suck. At least, this one does.

My reasons for going in initially were quite good and well-thought-out, in that the multiple surgeries required to get my kidneys unbuggered left me in a... pretty bad way. I won't go into details, but I basically could not walk for a month, and coupled with mom passing away right in the midst of it - we had surgeries on the same day - well. You get the idea.

When I went 'home', I discovered that the place I was supposed to live was pretty much uninhabitable, at least by someone with disabilities. The floor was rotting through right next to the bathroom, and as someone with a bit of weight on his bones, that was a ticket to a broken leg - or worse. So, I went back to the nursing home.

During that time spent at home, I was told by my brother that I was ceasing to breathe while sleeping. Apparently this has been going on for Some Time, and... everyone who knew just decided not to mention it to me. Three sleep studies later, I'm on a BiPAP. Those who've seen my post about the Philips recall can probably guess where this is going.

Yeah. The rental machine I'm on is part of the recall, and from what I'm hearing, it's not just the ozone cleaners causing issues, as Philips would have us believe. Now, this is bad enough on its own. But I'm also trying to go home again - the issues with the house have been resolved - and I've been told that I need my own bipap to do so or they can't call it a safe discharge... which would mean paying for the entire time I've been in here. No, I don't know why it works that way.

Medicaid in Alabama does not cover medical devices like this. (I'm actually not entirely sure what they DO cover at this point.) As such, the full price of the unit falls upon my shoulders... and thirty bucks a month just ain't gonna cover that.

So, I've started a GoFundMe fundraiser. I've got a few good friends who've already offered some support thankfully, but it's still a pretty hefty chunk of change. I know things are tight for folks around here, especially with all that's going on right now, but if y'all could pass the link around, I'd very much appreciate the help.

(I have a financially self-destructive streak a mile wide, so if I were confronted with an ultimatum like the one your nursing home is laying on you, I would be irresistibly tempted to call them on it and leave. I am NOT ADVOCATING this course of action. I would, however, suggest finding out whether your state has anything like a patient's rights ombudsman, if you haven't already. The hospital connected with your care ought to have a social worker who can connect you with the appropriate authorities, should they exist.)

On the plus side, it's good that you're at least well enough for going home to be an option if the bureaucratic bullshit can get sorted out.

--G.
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Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
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Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

I have health care and was prescribe a bipap for what is looking in retrospect like a life long problem with serious oxygen deprivation during sleep in November as of now I likely have a year before one will be available to me given how many were already waiting. This is a manufacturing problem(the four suppliers in my state are each given a single Bipap a month by the feds ) they either have not got a system of mass assembly for"safe" machines or "safe" is only being declared after some ridiculous qualification process.

I wish you better luck then I but we may be fucked

if you are in the 40's man even if you don't die your basically burning IQ, this is a nightmare I would rather not share, do whats best for your health