Alone with no family at all...can anyone relate?

JoeFromMo said:
Hi Rosemary. I am living in Missouri I am 73 and live alone and in the same boat.
No family other than Sister and Brother who I am not really close with. Trying to make
the best of it but it is lonely. I am a Christian though not religious. I am physically fit, workout 3 X
a week at the gym. Good health as far as I know. Not a fan of seeing Doctors.
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Joe, thank you for your post! Welcome to this site.
 

Veronica said:
Ive quit procrastinating and started looking at my options. I dont want to be scrambling around at the last minute.
Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best. And all that. :D

Heres some of my general rambling "research". This info is in no particular order. Its just info. I havent researched any of it yet.
A lot of this doesnt apply to me but Im tossing it out there for those it might.

Original Medicare (Parts A & B) will cover transportation only in certain situations, but generally it doesn't cover expenses when it's a routine trip from home to your doctor. Part A may cover emergency transportation services, and Part B may cover transportation if it's deemed medically necessary.

Uber/Lyft: You can use these apps to request a ride at any time. If you need special assistance, some services offer accessible vehicles. Uber Health and Lyft Pass may even be covered by your insurance plan in some cases. The hospital will not release you to an uber.

Uber Health and Lyft Pass: These are specialized services that allow healthcare providers and health plans to arrange and sometimes cover rides for patients, including those with disabilities and wheelchair users.

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT): You can pre-arrange for a specialized service that provides transportation for medical appointments. NEMT services are often required to have drivers with basic medical training, including patient safe handling. In many states, Medicaid covers these services, but check with your provider..

Local private medical transport companies: These services specialize in transporting patients to and from appointments and are equipped to handle various needs. A quick online search can help you find companies in your area

Hospital social worker or discharge planner: If you are leaving the hospital after a procedure, staff can help arrange for transport. They often have a list of approved providers or can give you a voucher for a taxi service.

Hospitals have RN administrative staff called case managers who will set up medical transportation at your request. Ask to speak to the case manager and also social work may be able to assist with discharge transportation if not the CM. I have worked for many hospitals
The hospital CM was very helpful to us getting the husband settled.

Area Agency on Aging (AAA): If you are over 60, your local AAA can connect you with senior transportation programs that provide low-cost or free rides for medical appointments.

211: Call 211 to be connected with a specialist who can provide referrals for health and social services in your community, including transportation.

Volunteer services: Some non-profits, churches, or community groups have volunteers who provide rides for people who need assistance

Your state department of aging. gov

Check your local Yelp for best medical transportation near your location.

Ask the hospital if they have a patient transport service to take you home. Usually low cost, sometimes covered by insurance or Medicaid. It's fairly common for seniors

Home-care companies: Agencies like Visiting Angels can provide staff to transport you to and from the hospital. Some may require payment for a minimum number of hours, as this may include post-operative assistance once you are home.

Local nonprofit groups: Community organizations such as the National Volunteer Caregiving Network have local affiliates that may offer free or low-cost transportation for medical appointments. Many churches or other religious groups also have volunteer networks that help with rides.

The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army: These organizations have special transportation services in some communities for seniors, people with disabilities, and others who need a medical ride.

Contact a home health care agency and hire a CNA or other home healthcare worker for the day. They’ll drive you in, drive you home, and make sure you’re ok while you finish recovering from the anesthesia. And if you need more help (drains, wound cleaning, showering, etc), that’s literally their job. My insurance pays for some home care. Not sure about transport. Will look into it.
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Good information. Also even when having certain procedures done in doctors' offices or non hospital facilities connected to those offices, I've found that doctors around here will instruct patients to have someone they know pick them up and not take Ubers or Lyfts. Of course ,once out of their offices, they don't follow the patients to insure compliance.
 
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Lara said:
Thank you for this thread. It has opened my eyes and made me think. Perfect timing too.
I have plenty of family who stay in contact daily. But I've been super busy until now and had several health issues until...right now.

Now I'm feeling called to do something...to reach out to others. There are mostly folks my age on this small island. The church members across the street are very involved in helping the older folks, regularly checking on them, bringing meals, flowers, visiting, etc. Even for those who aren't members of the church. I'm 75 myself but healthy and strong finally and have a good car, so no excuses.

We have "Visiting Angels" here but I think you have to pay them for visits.
.
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they're not really angels then??
 
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Veronica said:
Ive quit procrastinating and started looking at my options. I dont want to be scrambling around at the last minute.
Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best. And all that. :D

Heres some of my general rambling "research". This info is in no particular order. Its just info. I havent researched any of it yet.
A lot of this doesnt apply to me but Im tossing it out there for those it might.

Original Medicare (Parts A & B) will cover transportation only in certain situations, but generally it doesn't cover expenses when it's a routine trip from home to your doctor. Part A may cover emergency transportation services, and Part B may cover transportation if it's deemed medically necessary.

Uber/Lyft: You can use these apps to request a ride at any time. If you need special assistance, some services offer accessible vehicles. Uber Health and Lyft Pass may even be covered by your insurance plan in some cases. The hospital will not release you to an uber.

Uber Health and Lyft Pass: These are specialized services that allow healthcare providers and health plans to arrange and sometimes cover rides for patients, including those with disabilities and wheelchair users.

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT): You can pre-arrange for a specialized service that provides transportation for medical appointments. NEMT services are often required to have drivers with basic medical training, including patient safe handling. In many states, Medicaid covers these services, but check with your provider..

Local private medical transport companies: These services specialize in transporting patients to and from appointments and are equipped to handle various needs. A quick online search can help you find companies in your area

Hospital social worker or discharge planner: If you are leaving the hospital after a procedure, staff can help arrange for transport. They often have a list of approved providers or can give you a voucher for a taxi service.

Hospitals have RN administrative staff called case managers who will set up medical transportation at your request. Ask to speak to the case manager and also social work may be able to assist with discharge transportation if not the CM. I have worked for many hospitals
The hospital CM was very helpful to us getting the husband settled.

Area Agency on Aging (AAA): If you are over 60, your local AAA can connect you with senior transportation programs that provide low-cost or free rides for medical appointments.

211: Call 211 to be connected with a specialist who can provide referrals for health and social services in your community, including transportation.

Volunteer services: Some non-profits, churches, or community groups have volunteers who provide rides for people who need assistance

Your state department of aging. gov

Check your local Yelp for best medical transportation near your location.

Ask the hospital if they have a patient transport service to take you home. Usually low cost, sometimes covered by insurance or Medicaid. It's fairly common for seniors

Home-care companies: Agencies like Visiting Angels can provide staff to transport you to and from the hospital. Some may require payment for a minimum number of hours, as this may include post-operative assistance once you are home.

Local nonprofit groups: Community organizations such as the National Volunteer Caregiving Network have local affiliates that may offer free or low-cost transportation for medical appointments. Many churches or other religious groups also have volunteer networks that help with rides.

The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army: These organizations have special transportation services in some communities for seniors, people with disabilities, and others who need a medical ride.

Contact a home health care agency and hire a CNA or other home healthcare worker for the day. They’ll drive you in, drive you home, and make sure you’re ok while you finish recovering from the anesthesia. And if you need more help (drains, wound cleaning, showering, etc), that’s literally their job. My insurance pays for some home care. Not sure about transport. Will look into it.
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THANK YOU!! ❤️👍 Very kind of you, I do a lot of research in different areas of personal necessity myself and have shared it in different places. I know it's a lot of work so I appreciate you doing the work and sharing it here. God bless. 🙏
 
JudyB said:
THANK YOU!! ❤️👍 Very kind of you, I do a lot of research in different areas of personal necessity myself and have shared it in different places. I know it's a lot of work so I appreciate you doing the work and sharing it here. God bless. 🙏
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No problem. I was looking for me anyways. I save all my researches for different subjects in my email
that way I dont have to worry about losing stuff if my computer crashes. BTDT. So it was just copy and paste. :D
 
Fritz said:
Is that like here in the US?
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Yes. Sorry forgot to post that.

When youre in the hospital you will be assigned a case manager and a social worker. BTDT with the husband.
They will walk you thru a list of options for transportation, home care, etc. Some of this will be free depending on your finances.
At first we had to pay for transportation but you may not. Then I figured out the community spouse stuff and got an elder care attorney and signed the husband up for Medicaid. I think Ive explained this before somewhere but I dont remember. :D
 
Veronica said:
Yes. Sorry forgot to post that.

When youre in the hospital you will be assigned a case manager and a social worker. BTDT with the husband.
They will walk you thru a list of options for transportation, home care, etc. Some of this will be free depending on your finances.
At first we had to pay for transportation but you may not. Then I figured out the community spouse stuff and got an elder care attorney and signed the husband up for Medicaid. I think Ive explained this before somewhere but I dont remember. :D
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I've never seen a case manager when in the hospital. They just asked me how I was getting home.
 
What will you be doing for Thanksgiving?

One thing I’ve done for years is visit my parents graves and put holiday decorations on them.

I usually don’t have anything special to eat, but this year I’ll make a pot roast. With the price of beef, it’ll be a trea!
 
Fritz said:
I've never seen a case manager when in the hospital. They just asked me how I was getting home.
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Hmm. Maybe you have to ask? Or could be they dont volunteer if they think you have it under control?
Or if they feel its a simple procedure? The husband went back and forth from the hospital to the SNF
and had multiple medical conditions that needed complex care.
It was getting complicated, so I asked for options and was assigned both.
 
Veronica said:
Hmm. Maybe you have to ask? Or could be they dont volunteer if they think you have it under control?
Or if they feel its a simple procedure? The husband went back and forth from the hospital to the SNF
and had multiple medical conditions that needed complex care.
It was getting complicated, so I asked for options and was assigned both.
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That probably makes a difference.
 
Aunt Bea said:
If you find a good option please share it with us.

I’ve been looking too.

In some cities they have volunteer surgery buddies that are available but there is nothing similar in my area.

I’ve also wondered if I could hire a person through an agency for the day of and follow up visits.

I always make a point of asking medical providers but they have little to offer.
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I am surprised that social agencies do not offer this service. I guess here we are fortunate , having said that since covid a lot of volunteers have stepped back. We do have a service that one can use but tickets have to be booked way in advance. You are picked up and dropped off at your front door.
I live on Vancouver Island. A while back we lived on the north island, my DH would have to pay visits to the hospital in Victoria. A volunteer would pick him up and drive him home, this is about a 5 hour drive one way and so it took up a day, sometimes the driver would take 3 passengers. A great service that helped a lot of people. Payment was a stipulated amount but were grateful for anything over and above. I do not know if this service is still offered.
 
hollydolly said:
..but not in Canada....


Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for MAID in Canada, a person must meet the following criteria:

  • Have a serious and incurable illness, disease, or disability.
  • Be in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability.
  • Experience enduring and intolerable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be alleviated in a way the person finds acceptable.

Expansion and future changes

  • Eligibility was expanded in 2021 to include people whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable.
  • The law was slated to be extended to those with mental illness as their sole condition in March 2024, but this has been delayed.


Oversight and safeguards

  • MAID requires a rigorous assessment process, including approval from two physicians.
  • For those who are not terminally ill, there is an additional 90-day assessment period.
  • The law has been evolving, with ongoing efforts to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
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Happy that I live in Canada
 

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