Romans 12: 18 If it be
possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
It isn't always easy being a Christian or a Christian Caretaker. The doctor's had told me that Dad only needed to stay in the skilled nursing facility 10-14 days. I even asked if he could be discharged after that time and was given the impression when the contract was signed that he could.
When I had to go for the big discharge meeting, that wasn't the case. They wanted my dad to stay there until he was much better, which had the interpretation of indefinitely. If he had stayed past the 20 days that Medicare provided for him to heal, he would have gone into a shared room with only a curtain that looked like a sheet between him and another person and would be paying out-of-pocket to the tune of $4,710 a month for this shared space.
Fortunately God had me checking on these things prior to the discharge meeting. I found that Dad could live in an Assisted Living facility for far less and have his own room. When they brought up the idea of dad staying on in the long-term stay portion of the nursing home and I told them that we planned for Dad to go to an Assisted Living facility, they suggested a facility that was closer, less expensive and was in our town. (In other words, it was $3,500 instead of $4,710 out-of-pocket, but $1,200 less a month makes a major difference!)
When they knew that we had made up our mind and that Dad could not afford the nursing home, they were agreeable to the idea. They wanted him to stay the full 20 days that Medicare allows for even though I asked them to release him then. They said that he should stay because he would benefit by the extra physical therapy sessions he had. The committee members were overriding me and I felt that there wasn't much I could do and ended up giving in.
(If I had known then what I know now, I would have put up a bigger fight. Later, when dad had further hospital stays, Dad would have had to pay out of pocket for skilled nursing rehab, because he had already used all 20 days that Medicare had provided. I'm not trying to complain, but feel that if I let readers know this, they will realize that it's sometimes important to not let people talk you into using all your covered Medicare days in case they are needed for further episodes.) Romans 12: 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.
I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.
These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:
Caregiving Video: Dementia Care in 60 Seconds!-Pay Attention to Personal Care!
By: Ellen Bell with Keep in Mind Inc.
