My dad recently had a medical incident that may be heart related. He has a pacemaker/defibrillator installed since Jan 2021. He lives in a skilled nursing facility. I just found out that no data has ever been transmitted to his cardiac Dr., from this, due to the 'pairing' never having occurred with the transmitter. I'm struggling with this. Isn't it the responsibility of the SNF to ensure this is set up properly?
If there was a disastrous/emergency event that occurred with the pacemaker, and the transmitter was plugged in and set up, my husband WOULD get a phone call with instructions to follow from a human being.
The PM info should be stored since January and you may have access to it now if you can figure out who to call. Dad should have an ID card in his wallet with the pacemaker name & type, with phone numbers on it to call for help.
Unless your father has a cardiologist at the SNF who comes in to see him, I doubt anyone would have knowledge about his pacemaker or the transmitter. This information is given to the patient at the time of the surgical procedure.
Good luck.
For goodness sakes have these facilities ever heard of a move in check list tailored to what is required for each resident. So that things like this don't fall through the cracks.
And meanwhile, data that *could* possibly have alerted the right people in time to avert his recent suspected cardiac event just stayed put inside his chest.
I don't blame her for being miffed, only I doubt if this ever was the facility's responsibility.
PS And, if follow up appointments weren't put in place because the implanters expected to be able to carry out check-ups remotely, then all the more so.
It's actually the responsibility of whoever inserted the ICD to set up the systems and provide aftercare. If the SNF needed to do anything about the device's transmissions they should have been told what and how; and moreoever if no data were being received why wasn't that followed up? Has your father been back to cardiology for monitoring and maintenance since Jan 2021? - I think we had six-monthly checks, as far as I remember.
So - I wouldn't blame the SNF, no. Is your father okay?