Nursing Support for Hospital Visits

Patti_L

Hi All! I'm new to this group. My sister has dementia we believe due to vascular system issues. She lives in a Memory Care facility. Recently, she's had some health issues with declined responsiveness. The facility sends her to the ER via ambulance. The issue is I'm in FL and she is in MO. It frightens me that she is going to the hospital with no one to watch over her. The hospitals aren't secure with memory care patients who wander.

Is there an organization of nurses who could go and be with her while she is in if we don't have family members who can help? Thanks for your insights!

harshedbuzz

Perhaps a Geriatric Care Manager (typically trained as a MSW or RN with geriatric experience) could help you bridge this need. If the PWD can't be moved to a MCF near their chosen POA, a GCM could contact and agency to send an aide to be her sitter and communicate with family.

It's generally not recommended for PWD to go to the ER alone or be alone if admitted for a lot of reasons.

HB