DLK160
05-22-08, 02:54 AM
Hello. It's been some time since I posted but things have changed in the past couple of years and I'm in search of additional insight.
To update, I help a Marine and his wife with his care. He was disabled by a land mine in Da Nang in the late 60's. He lost his eyes and part of his right frontal lobe. He's actually functioned fairly well through the years but his health has declined considerably the last half year. He's been hospitalized 4 times since December with pneumonia, an esophegeal ulcer where he bled so much into his stomach that he almost died, and two urinary tract infections.
It's gotten to the point where we may have to place him in a nursing home. His cognitive abilities have declined and he's increasingly difficult to diagnose when he becomes ill. Because his mental capacity has declined, we don't know that he's sick until his condition gets to the point where he can't function, sometimes overnight. I believe part of it is he's a Marine to the end, and he won't/doesn't/can't acknowledge discomfort so we can never really tell what's wrong.
We were wondering if anyone has ever had to place a loved one in a nursing home and what the end cost would be. They have some debt and his wife worries about losing their house if his disability was funnelled into the cost of a nursing home because his income is all she's ever had. She's never worked because she dedicated her life from the age of 19 to his care and has never paid into social security. She is 55, has degenerative joint disease, narrowing of the spinal column and spinal arthritis and it would be almost impossible for her to just start working.
We're in Indiana and the only veterans home is around 90 miles away, which is a prohibitive distance to travel for anyone to visit him on a regular basis and we don't want him to just be there by himself 90% of the time. We'd prefer he was in a home in our area but don't know what a private home would cost or if there would be a benefit to help with the cost of his care.
After he's discharged from the hospital we're going to have him placed in one of the homes around here for a few weeks to see how he recovers and rehabs before we make a permanent decision, but we are nearing that point. It's to the point where he requires almost 24 hour supervision and it's not an easy thing to do.
We would appreciate any insights anyone might have.
To update, I help a Marine and his wife with his care. He was disabled by a land mine in Da Nang in the late 60's. He lost his eyes and part of his right frontal lobe. He's actually functioned fairly well through the years but his health has declined considerably the last half year. He's been hospitalized 4 times since December with pneumonia, an esophegeal ulcer where he bled so much into his stomach that he almost died, and two urinary tract infections.
It's gotten to the point where we may have to place him in a nursing home. His cognitive abilities have declined and he's increasingly difficult to diagnose when he becomes ill. Because his mental capacity has declined, we don't know that he's sick until his condition gets to the point where he can't function, sometimes overnight. I believe part of it is he's a Marine to the end, and he won't/doesn't/can't acknowledge discomfort so we can never really tell what's wrong.
We were wondering if anyone has ever had to place a loved one in a nursing home and what the end cost would be. They have some debt and his wife worries about losing their house if his disability was funnelled into the cost of a nursing home because his income is all she's ever had. She's never worked because she dedicated her life from the age of 19 to his care and has never paid into social security. She is 55, has degenerative joint disease, narrowing of the spinal column and spinal arthritis and it would be almost impossible for her to just start working.
We're in Indiana and the only veterans home is around 90 miles away, which is a prohibitive distance to travel for anyone to visit him on a regular basis and we don't want him to just be there by himself 90% of the time. We'd prefer he was in a home in our area but don't know what a private home would cost or if there would be a benefit to help with the cost of his care.
After he's discharged from the hospital we're going to have him placed in one of the homes around here for a few weeks to see how he recovers and rehabs before we make a permanent decision, but we are nearing that point. It's to the point where he requires almost 24 hour supervision and it's not an easy thing to do.
We would appreciate any insights anyone might have.