what support for seriously ill people?

[Zoe Girl]

Hi all, first of all please send paryers for my friend Tonya.

She was in the hospital starting saturday. It sounds like a reaction to medication. Her legs never stopped twitching and moving while I was there and her pain level was an 8 even with medication. She had passed out while her son was getting her to the hospital. She has a slow growing lymphoma but we are not sure what is causing this current issue.

While I was there I saw her get to tears several times from talking to her family. They didn't think she needed to be there. She got no visitors except me and her son who would not leave her. She only got socks and a change of clothes because I ran to the store. Today they did pick her up when she was released and took hours running around so she is getting her pain medication 2 hours late. I am probably the only friend who checks on her besides family and I am concerned that they are not taking this seriously or caring for her. Her mother kept on telling her she needed to take care of her prescription but T is pretty out of it with feeling pain plus cannot drive yet.

So are there social workers that help with this kind of thing? I am not sure what to do next. I have little time to help but i will help with what i reasonably can do. I think most people know she has family here but does not realize that they are not really caring for her.

[sweetana3]

All hospitals have social workers but they are only as good as the information they are given.

If your friend needs some help, professional or otherwise, there are services she can hire. Here in our city there are a couple of large services that provide hourly help to mostly seniors but can be used by others.

If you are asking about free help, it is family, church, friends, etc.

[Tussiemussies]

That is a really sad situation. I don't have anything to add but do feel very sorry for her.

One thing I have noticed is that today in our culture people take illness very lightly. I think because we are treated that way. The unspoken word of not taking time off from work when you are sick. The lack of time given in hospitals for recovery.

Well hopefully there is something that can work out.

[SteveinMN]

Zoe Girl, Tonya (or you) can contact the social worker at the hospital, as sweetana mentioned, and see what kinds of resources might be available to someone recently discharged who is not yet back to 100%. Other options could include calling her county of residence or her health insurer or HMO/health co-op (or checking their Web site) to see what help might be available locally (as an example, here's (http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/hs/aped/Elderly.htm) the Web page for the county I live in). Finally, some larger health providers even maintain public "nurse lines" which might offer directions for medically-related issues. Good luck! Tonya is at that part of treatment that frequently falls through the cracks.

[cjones]

From my experience of being extremely ill and fragile for over 12 months, the solutions are not great for someone without a loving and attentive family and many close friends. I'm sorry for your friend. Our world is very uncaring towards ill people.

[domestic goddess]

There is help available, but most people will need an advocate to help them receive it. It is a shame that none of the hospital staff called the social worker for your friend, but you can do it now for her. How old is her son? Maybe he can help, too.
If she is not able to handle such things as cooking and housework yet, then maybe a homemaker could be hired to help her. If her dr. makes a referral, it might be paid for by her insurance or Medicare, if that is available to her. If she has a church home, they might be able to help, too. The social worker at the hospital can help with this, too.We hired someone for my mom; the cost was something slightly over $14/hr. which was doable for her, but costs will vary with location.
To keep something like this from happening in the future to her or to anyone else you know, as her nurse to arrange for a social worker to see her during her admission to start to get these things in place. If possible, they can arrange a temporary stay in a nursing home or rehab facility while she regains her strength. It is, of course, possible that her symptoms have to do with her disease, and may not fully resolve, or may even become worse.