How I Got Out... and Survived

I just did it, but there was planning first. I left the hospital and all medical facilities. It is called Independent Living. The movement has really taken off during my generation. The generation before me laid the foundation. This is considered Disability Rights, of the Civil Rights Movement. 

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Make sure there is a roof over-head. A patient doesn't just leave a facility, usually. I'm not getting into Against Medical Advice as I didn't go that way. Most of the time, I was transferred. There was always another facility.

When I went "home", I kept with this. The house already had to exist. I didn't directly come to this house. I had a rental across town for about 6 months through a friend of my mother. This rental was planned for at least 2 months in advance.

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Next was the equipment. A medically involved person gets by, maybe even exists, with equipment. Get to know your hospital social worker. This person will be ordering what will be needed for daily living.

In my case I needed:  a hospital bed, a commode chair, and a bath bench.

Over time the bath bench had changed to a shower chair. An in-bed hair wash sink has been added. Also, a bedpan was purchased. Through a fund-raiser, a standing lift has also been obtained.

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My food is a commercially prepared formula. At that time when I came home, my formula was Boost. I remembered that the rehab hospital used this preparation. The hospital I was leaving used an unflavored formula that I didn't like. I have Ensure now. This can be bought at the store in an emergency.

When I moved, I set up with a medical food supplier in my state that I already knew of. The hospital had provided me with a couple of large containers of the unflavored formula. My mother went to the store and purchased Boost. Store bought and the medical preparation are the same.

I currently use Ensure formula. 

This is the same as bottles sold in the store.

I said I already knew which medical supply service to use. Years before my stroke I was a service coordinator for disabled children. This included the medically fragile child that the parent wanted at home. I would need the same kind of services.

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Early on I learned that I had to be able to verbally describe my care to a complete stranger. I went to a carehome in Northridge, California. The Northridge Earthquake was devastating and famous. I was with the survivors. I would take this bit of knowledge they gave me further and give instruction on entire nursing procedures.  https://braininjuryknow.blogspot.com/2016/03/streetsmart-in-wheelchair.html

This city was made famous by an earthquake.

'Who will take care of you?' is a big question, but I minimalized it. Almost anyone could do it. I believe the youngest was 12-my older daughter years ago. 

I am in California. I know a lot of the programs in this state. I knew of a program that provided caregivers. I use In-Home Support Services through tthe California Department of Social Services.

https://www.cdss.ca.gov/in-home-supportive-services

They could do basic care. I'd direct the rest.

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This is how I do it. The knowledge is all in my head. I just relate to a person how to perform a procedure.