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I called nursing home to get updates and detailed info regarding my dad's recent procedure and labs. First nurse was unable to log in. As she put it, locked out of the portal because of too many attempts. So, she grabbed a nearby RN, and she was able to promptly login to hers. I don't understand how one could get locked out. What if meds had to be given or pertinent emergent info had to be gathered asap? And not being able to do so. On a side note, nurse was very vague when answering my detailed questions and seemed to skirt around certain ones. Specifically, I wanted to know his recent O2 levels, stated their checked twice a day. His were very good. If they fell below the threshold, then it would be investigated, etc. I asked her point blank what that threshold is and what have his O2 levels been at. She could not give me a straight answer or an answer at all. The levels apparently are not logged. What the hell is the sense of checking the levels and not logging them?! I'm also my dad's medical representative/attorney. Apparently to request a phone call with the MD is a poo-poo. she had to know why I wanted to speak to him, what questions I had, attempted to give answers which did not apply to what I was questioning. The MD is the one that signs the orders, gives the okay for new meds, he's the one with years of schooling and knowledge, making/adding new diagnosis. he is who I want to explain what the abnormal Labs May indicate, explain in layman terms what the latest CT scan, scope, MRI etc. means and how it all ties together. Anyone can read numbers and info from a chart and describe what they've visually and personally seen with a patient. I'm sorry this is lengthy, and I have high respect for nurses, but I feel there's something weird going on. Oh, and, he was having vomiting episodes for 2 weeks and was taking to the ER, two times in two weeks. I was notified. Later in looking at his MyChart at the local hospital it was stated that RN told ER that he had coffee ground emesis and hematemesis. for 3 months. I had to Google the second term. I promptly called the facility asked for updates specifically his vomiting. Was it bile? Was he puking up blood? I was told no. RN straight out lied to me as I had just prior learned that hematemesis is vomiting blood. Couple days later I called for another update and used the term I had just learned and asked RN what it was and how long that's been going on for. She played dumb. She said Well Hema refers to blood, but the last part of it I don't know I've never heard of that. I spelled the word out for her. Clueless. I'm not one to open a can of worms but I feel like something is not right. Is there something that's being covered up because of a mistake on their part? I just want answers and at this point to get to the bottom of things without causing a sh*t storm. Also a few more concerns/things that don't seem okay. Can expand on that after.

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I use one network of doctors and like Fawnby says, everything is noted and placed in my portal for me to see.

I love the transparency of having a portal.
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Regarding patient portals, when I log into our primary care doctor’s practice, I’m able to see lab reports, doctors’ notes about our visits, meds prescribed, and our histories as well as lots of other info. I can’t imagine that with all our abilities to access these records, they’d be withheld. After having this access, I wouldn’t go to a doctor who didn’t provide it.
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You are not going to like my reply.
I think I see the problem here...micromanagement of vital signs and taking up too much time with medical staff. Plus you are looking up medical terms that you know little about.
I used to see visitors coming in to see my patients and all the while just focusing on the monitors rather than just visiting. You need to let the professionals do their job. They have more patients then just your LO.
As far as portals, most nursing homes do not have them. Even with my personal doctors office portal, I do not get to see my numbers except when I am physically in the office. It partly depends on what the doctors release to the patient. I would not even think of calling in a nurse to get info. For one thing asking care givers have to really verify the HIPPA issue since the patient has to give permission and dad may not be able to do that. If you are just POA or health proxy, it may not be enough. You might have to be a guardian and still only she doctor can approve releasing info. When my mom had early dementia, she allowed me verbally in front of the doctor to give info but as dementia progressed and she needed a higher level of care and could no longer approve, I was locked out of privileged info in her final days, unless I spoke to a doctor about pressing medical needs when he contacted me.
Going back to O2 levels....are you medically oriented as to what is a low number? If so, then what do you plan to do with it? Do you know that a COPDer does not always require a number similar to a normal person? Staff will call EMS depending on symptoms and circumstances around the number similar to high or low BP readings.
So my advice is to stop pestering staff to give you trivial and private information or you may soon get no response or call backs from staff. Visit you father and have a pleasant experience rather than focusing in on numbers that you personally cannot fix. Remember as a person ages, certain vital signs cannot be fixed to normal by throwing medications at. If the patient is still comfortable then they may not need extra.
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“Is there something that's being covered up bc of a mistake on their part?”

Maybe. Medical people do this a lot…
:(

You deserve a straight answer from the facility about his situation.

While he was at the hospital, why didn’t you speak directly with the doctor. That’s what I’ve done, daily. Why did you ask the facility for updates? Ask the hospital doctor directly, whenever your dad’s in hospital.
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hedman83 Jul 2023
I don't know if this is because of after covid or if it's always been like this in our area, but there's not an actual doctor at the facility on a day-to-day basis it's done by telehealth. There's like two or three different ones that work with the few nursing facilities in our small sort of rural area. So the actual one-on-one or in person time may only be around once or twice a month. When he gets sent out to the local emergency room / hospital, whichever doctor is on call would be the one that he sees and usually it's a different one. Almost 3 years ago when my dad was only 66 years old he was life-flighted by helicopter to the twin cities in Minneapolis to get emergency surgery because of an aortic dissection. After his stint in the ICU which he wasn't able to wake up after anesthesia although the procedure did go okay he had a trach put in and feeding tube and was sent to another facility nearby there with the appropriate doctors and equipment to try and wean him off of the breathing tube. He finally did wake up after about 3 weeks. I was making frequent trips down there. Working with the social workers etc at these places he wasn't able to come back home or even close to home yet because of his condition and the lack of appropriate facilities to help him in our area. So he was sent off to a skilled facility that had therapists working with him daily. A couple days before Thanksgiving I got a phone call from that area code and it was his speech therapist, she sounded excited and the next thing I knew my dad was on the phone telling me happy early birthday and Thanksgiving. He was able to eat again on his own and made great strides with his physical therapy things were looking on the up and up until frequent bouts of pneumonia, UTIs which both had him in the emergency room where they treated him and it would happen again. two steps forward one step back he was getting weaker.. he had many different complications and diagnoses relating to his heart. At this time me, my sister my dad's two brothers and sister-in-law were working on getting his house super clean and ready for him when he was doing well enough to come home although he was still looking at almost around the clock care because he wasn't able to walk yet although he was making major improvements. My my aunt was the Don at nursing facility in our area so we all made the decision for him to just come back and be placed in that said facility because with her being the deal and she assured us that he would be taken very well care of. Since he's been back in our small area he's done nothing but decline and remain stable. He will never be like he once was.. but my goal and what he has wanted was not to be "living" of the remainder of his life in a nursing home bed bound, medications up the yin yang, feeding tube for everything, nothing by mouth because of aspiration risks. From what I've seen at these places, and I can only speak for our small area is that once a person enters a nursing home there's no looking back. I feel he should be getting more therapy, specifically speech therapy so he can at least have some sort of personal enjoyment with certain foods or drinks occasionally. When he first got there I got a call on the second day that he had fallen from his bed. Holy cow was I freaked out but he had the strength at that point to sit himself up, move his legs and body towards the edge of the bed and attempt to stand, now he can barely sit up on his own.
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