My 90-year-old mother broke her lower thigh bone about 20 days ago. She was hospitalized for almost two weeks and was sent to an SNF for what I thought would be 20 days fully covered by Medicare.
A social worker called today to let us know Medicare would cover only 7 days. She gave me a number to lodge an appeal which I did.
Is this a new policy?
My mother still needs help. She cannot stand on her own & cannot sit in a chair. She needs a catheter and a nurse to feed her meals.
Your Mom is in rehab for only the broken bone. Was not being able to stand on her own and not being able to sit in a chair prior to her hospitalization? If so, Medicare does not pay for prior problems. Needing a catheter and needing feeding is not a Rehab thing unless its to teach the person how to do it for themselves. Again, if these were prior problems, not part of this Rehab. Maybe Mom is not rehabitable. She is 90 and sometimes something Iike a broken bone and a hospital stay causes further decline.
If her not being able to stand and sit in a chair are from breaking a bone, then I would ask the therapist why only 7 days. I am surprised that they are not trying to keep her the full 20 days Medicare pays % for. You may also need to consider with Moms problems if you want to continuing caring for her. If not, this is where u have her transferred directly to Long-term care. Using what money she has for her care. If no money, you apply for Medicaid.
She hasn't been there the full 20 days yet.
Ask for a care meeting to determine her goals. It sounds like she will need long term care and you may need to plan on this. Does she qualify for Medicaid? The social worker can help with this.