Transporting patient home via squad

Specialties Emergency

Published

I'm not a nurse. I'm a caregiver to my mother. I love reading this forum. The information and knowledge is vast. Thank you all!

Now on to my question....

My mother is 55. COPD. OSA. CHF. Diabetic. She has a laundry list of problems. She had been doing ok up until January of this year. She has been in and out of the ICU, nursing home and here at home more times than I can remember during these last 6 months. She has chronic respiratory failure, exacerbations of COPD & CHF. She has a home bipap machine, but her 02 sats are low (80s sometimes lower) during these flares even on her bipap. I have been having to call EMS and taking her to the ER. They would put her on their bipap and sats stay prefect! Makes me so angry, but I digress....They will stabilize her, give her steroids and antibiotics. She is usually home with 3 days.

Well today, this happened again. The ER put her on bipap for a couple of hours, ran labs. Everything came back "baseline for her". I go home to change out of my work clothes and get a call from her nurse. He tells me they are sending a squad to transport her home. They have NEVER done this. He tells me to keep her on bipap, she should be fine. Now when I was there, mom could not stay awake. She would open her eyes if you stimulated her, but other than that....back to sleep. He tells me not to bother coming back up, she would be home soon. I agree, not much choice. They have made the decision for me.

The squad comes. Brings her to the front steps on a gurney and asks me if she walks. She is barely awake at this point. Yes, she walks under normal circumstances. They lower her down and tell her to stand. She tries, God help her, she tries... She is trembling (shaking, tremors) so bad in her arms and legs, she couldn't get up. They had to use.the stair chair and bring her into our apartment. ::whew:: Now this seems fishy to me. Why works they send her home in this condition? Are they just tired of dealing with her? Could I have refused this?

Thanks to anyone who gets through this long post to answer.... :-)

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

You need to consult with your mother's medical providers as this is not the forum to seek medical advice. Perhaps inquire if palliative care (comfort not hospice) is appropriate at this point.

You agreed to neither seek nor offer medical advice as a condition of membership. Good luck.

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Sorry

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Best of luck to you and your mother, Missa.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

We know this has to be so frustrating and frightening when you have questions unanswered. But, we cannot possibly answer any of your questions because that is giving medical advice and against the Terms of Service of the site.

Please speak with your Mom's healthcare provider to get the medical advice you need for her.

We do wish you well and hope that you can get the answers you need in order to help your Mom.

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