"Homecoming" for Dad

We sure wish seeing into the future were an option so we could have skipped a step or two the last few days...

To make a long story short, John's dad was released from the hospital last Monday afternoon and transferred to a nursing home/rehab center very near the hospital. Twenty-three hours later he was in his own home!

Nothing drastic, but the little things (not all of them were little to him!) added up. The final straw came when John's sister and I arrived the next morning only to be followed into his room by two nurses who insisted that he wasn't supposed to be wearing the immobilizer (a strap/velcro affair that keeps his left arm stable while the pacemaker heals). Needless to say, we responded that they were not to touch him! John's sister, Jane, is a registered nurse so she immediately went to see the orders while I "guarded" Dad. She returned several minutes later and announced that he was going home. Jumping through all the Medicare/doctor hoops took several hours, during which John was kept busy lining up a hand-held shower head, oxygen and a hospital bed at home. The smile on Dad's face when he finally settled into his own recliner at home was worth all the hustle and bustle - definitely the right decision!

He is doing much better already and his spirits have improved dramatically. We're keeping up with the meds and have started his exercises. Fortunately, one of Jane's daughters is a physical therapist in a nearby state, so we have the advantage of tapping her knowledge. Tomorrow a nurse from the local home health agency will come and assist us with anything we might have missed and let us know which services would be helpful.

Just a little detour in the life of a pretty special 87 year old...