Please forgive the length of this post, but I feel I must explain
several of the cir***stances in hopes of identifying the appropriate
assistance.
I have a friend whose mother just returned home from a five month
hospital stay. Due to a surgical error during an aortic aneurysm
repair, the esophagus was nicked and developed an erosion about the
size of a quarter before it was discovered, and this led to her
esophagectomy. Her husband had to put his business on hold to care
for her while she was in-patient, and now that she is out, has become
her primary home caregiver. During her stay, his business has all but
closed. No one is saying it out loud, but I'm not really expecting it
to recover to the point where it can provide for their new added
expenses, let alone their normal non-medical expenses. I think they
have insurance from where she worked, but I understand it's not that
great. She was on a "vacuum assisted closure" machine while she was
in-patient, and her family would like to have her back on it at home
to keep her recovery progressing. I checked Apria's site tonight and
they don't appear to carry such equipment. Does anyone know of a
place where such a machine could be rented/borrowed? The patient
lives in upstate SC. The procedure was performed in Ohio, and the
doctors there knew nothing of what might be available outside their
own hospital. A couple of the nurses were able to obtain some
supplies for her feeding tube, "drool bag", etc., before she was
discharged, and that helped a lot.
Also, I'm told her special formula (don't exactly know what it is) is
going to run about $500-600/mo., and they will only be able to afford
about a 1 month supply. They are getting ready to apply for Social
Security Disability benefits, but that will take a while to process,
plus there is the two year wait for Medicare coverage even if she is
approved. They are also looking to apply for Medicaid, but I'm not
optimistic about that outcome, primarily because of possible resource
restrictions (their home, which is fairly modest, but it concerns me
still).
I thought the American Heart Association may be of help since this
started due to the aortic aneurysm, but the ongoing problem involves
the digestive tract. I thought the American Cancer Society may be of
some assistance, because the primary reason for esophagectomies is
from esophageal cancer, but she didn't have cancer. I've suggested
they contact both next week, as the worst they can do is say no.
Any suggestions where this family may be able to find assistance in
obtaining and paying for these items?
Thanks for reading and for any replies!
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