Kathleen A. Gagne

Kathie Gagne died 4,583 days ago.

July 19th, 2012 @ 7:28 am

My sister sent me this message via SMS after reading the previous post:

Mom’s glasses were more likely lost at Coastal prior to being taken to the ER or at Halifax. She had them on at Coastal when we were there.
I hate that. I had to keep telling EVERYONE at the nursing home, ALF, and the hospital that Mom ALWAYS has her glasses on. Yes, even when she is sleeping. (She joked to me once a long time ago that if she didn’t wear them while sleeping, her dreams would be blurry.)
Why anyone would take the glasses off of a disoriented person and assume that person could find them and put them back on again is beyond me.
I would be crying all the time too if I couldn’t see, had a bedsore, was in an unfamiliar place, and didn’t know what was happening to me.

And then at 12:59pm PDT she sent an update:

I called Walmart. They are going to make a new pair of glasses for Mom; [name redacted] is going to pick them up; I am going to send [name redacted] a check.

A Message for Sherri Spillman

July 19th, 2012 @ 6:51 am

Immediately after leaving a message on the voice mail for the social workers office, I called Woodland Terrace again and asked to speak to Sherri Spillman, the administrator. The receptionist told me that she wasn’t in the facility yet, so I asked if I could leave her a voice mail.

The receptionist didn’t respond, but I was transferred to Sherri’s voice mail box.

As politely as possible, I left a message for Sherri to let her know that I was still having a tremendously difficult time getting my mother on the phone. I explained very quickly that I had called to talk to my mom multiple times in the last week and been unable to get her on the phone, and that it was very frustrating.

I told Sherri that I wasn’t “mad”, but I did want to make sure that she knew I was still having problems.

(Sherri did not return my call today. To be fair, though, I did not specifically request that she return my call.)

A Message for Shelly Sparace

July 19th, 2012 @ 6:50 am

I called Woodland Terrace on my way into work this morning. I was hoping to get a chance to talk to Shelly Sparace to determine if she had made any progress on mom’s application for Medicaid. I also hadn’t heard or seen any response to the multiple emails my sister sent two days ago, so I wanted to confirm that they were received.

When the receptionist answered the phone, I simply asked to speak with Shelly Sparace. She said, “One moment, please,” and I was transferred to a voice mail box. There was a man’s voice on the outgoing message, but he indicated that I would be leaving a message for the social services department (or something along those lines) so I assumed he was someone who worked in the same office as Shelly.

I left my name and phone number — repeating each one three times, as I’ve learned to always do on voice mail systems — and asked for someone to return my call.

It was 6:50 AM PDT when I left the message, which would have been 9:50 AM EDT, but nobody returned my call all day.

A Friend Visits

July 18th, 2012 @ 9:00 pm

I just got a phone call from mom’s friend from her Church in Florida. She was calling to let me know that she’d been called by someone named Nancy who claimed to be from the Patient Accounting Department at Halifax Hospital.

Apparently Nancy thought that she was calling mom. Mom’s friend explained that she’d been discharged to Woodland Terrace over a week ago, which was news to Nancy. And then, comically, Nancy told my friend that because of HIPAA regulations she could no longer discuss anything about mom with her.

I said that I couldn’t imagine why they’d call her instead of me, and she said that they had her mobile phone number and someone must have logged that as mom’s number by mistake. I told her that any time anyone calls about mom — especially from Halifax — she should tell them to call me. But she said that Nancy told her that there was no contact information for mom at all, no relatives listed, nobody.

Mom’s friend said that it was ironic that she heard from Halifax today because she had just been to visit mom at Woodland Terrace this morning. She said that when she got there, mom was in a wheelchair in front of a nurses station quietly crying to herself. She thinks that mom can wheel herself around the facility on her own now, which is sort of an improvement. And she said that she saw mom “vertical” for the first time in a long, long time.

I asked her what that meant, and she said that when mom saw her, she pulled herself up to a standing position for a few seconds.

She said that the main reason she was calling was to ask me whether I thought it would be a good idea for her to being mom’s cat to visit her Friday night. The nurses gave her their approval to do that, but she wanted to ask my opinion. I said that I have no idea whether that would be good or bad. It could be really good or it could be awful; I just don’t know.

Mom’s friend said that mom seems “300%” better at Woodland Terrace than she did at any point while at Halifax. She’s not “doped up” and, “she knows who I am.” But, she said, she still won’t “verbalize” at all. She asked mom why she won’t talk to anyone, why she just cries all the time, but mom refuses to respond. It was very depressing to hear that all the nurses there seem to think that mom has always been this way, that she’s not going to improve, and that the crying and whimpering is simply her “normal” now.

She asked me about mom’s cat again and I repeated that I just didn’t know. “Nobody knows,” is what I said, I think.

Mom’s friend said she’d visit her again tomorrow, and asked if I wanted Nancy’s phone number. I said that I certainly did, and she told me it was (386) 425-1136. I told her that I’d call Nancy tomorrow to see if I could learn anything.

And then mom’s friend noted that mom didn’t have her eyeglasses. Mom can hardly see at all without them; she certainly can’t read to save her life without her glasses. She assumed they were lost at some point at Grace Manor, at Coastal Rehab, or in the ER, ICU, or room she was in at Halifax. She said that at one point today while she was there, mom reached over, removed her sunglasses, and put them on herself.

So, yeah, it sounds to me like she’s desperate to get her glasses.

Mom’s friend said she knew mom got the prescription filled at Wal-Mart last year, so maybe I can get them to issue another pair if nobody can find hers. I told her about my brother-in-law taking all her stuff there last week, and she said there was a box in the closet she hadn’t checked. So she’s going to visit again tomorrow to see if they’re in there.

She did say that all the photographs and stuffed animals from my sister, etc. were displayed around her room, so that was nice to hear. She said she’d ask someone at Grace Manor about mom’s eyeglasses, too.

No Response from Linda, Jenna, or Marsha

July 18th, 2012 @ 8:19 am

Since nobody at all responded in any way to the fax Marsha Porter told me to send last week, I sent the following email to her:

Ms. Porter,

I found the Florida Department of Elder Affairs 2040 form as you instructed, then printed it, completed it, and faxed it to the number you instructed to the attention of Linda or Jenna on July 9, 2012 at 10:33 am PDT.

I have received no response from Linda, Jenna, or you in any way, shape or form since then.

PS: I also mailed via USPS a copy of this completed form (and the fax cover sheet I used) to Sylvia Gray, the Business Office Manager at Woodland Terrace on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

RE: Kathleen Gagne/Medicaid/Bank Statements

July 17th, 2012 @ 9:51 pm

My sister sent five consecutive emails to Shelly Sparace at Woodland Terrace and copied me on each one:

Hi, Shelly.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me and walk me through some of my questions regarding Medicaid. I am going to send you 4 emails, one for each of Mom’s bank accounts with a cover sheet explaining each.

This first email is for Bank of America account ending in [redacted], the Social Security Representative Payee account.

Attachments: 4 PDF files, 1 docx file

This is for Bank of America account [redacted], a savings account that Mom opened for herself.

Attachments: 4 PDF files, 1 docx file

This is an account that David opened for Mom when she began showing more of a need for help managing her finances.

Attachments: 5 PDF files, 1 docx file

This is actually my main bank account. When I opened it in [redacted] as a college freshman, it was recommended to me to have her name on it as well. I never foresaw any reason to remove it. When I became her rep payee, our funds mixed as I was using it to manage and pay her bills through it.

Attachments: 4 PDF files, 1 docx file

I have attached an overview of all the accounts with their current amounts.

Attachment: 1 docx file

Regarding Kathleen Gagne

July 17th, 2012 @ 12:11 pm

My sister just sent the following email to Sylvia Gray at Woodland Terrace:

Hi, Sylvia.

This is the latest information that I have regarding Kathleen Gagne’s Medicaid application.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you are the one handling this, as when I recently called Woodland Terrace to speak to you, I was told that Woodland has a social worker named Shelly who handles the Medicaid applications.

Please also let me know to whom I should send the most current bank statements, as this will be the third time I am sending them out.

You can reach me anytime at [number redacted].
Thank you.

She attached a copy of the letter sent to my mom by the Florida Department of Children & Families.

Sylvia Gray replied just a few minutes later with the following message:

Hello. I was able to get online to the Medicaid website today to try to figure out what has been done. I have given that information to Shelly who is indeed the lady who will be handling and assisting in the Medicaid process. I will forward this information to Shelly. We just need to make sure you have filed for nursing home Medicaid (ICP). The letter from DCF leads me to believe you have otherwise they would not be asking for 3008, level of care, etc.

I will ask Shelly to check on the 3008 and to file for the level of care from the CARES office (Dept of Elder Affairs).

My sister forwarded me that message from Sylvia and included the note:

Hi, David.

I received this from Sylvia today and spoke with Shelly Sparace. To clarify, Medicaid requires a 3008 from CARES which is an assessment of Mom’s condition to determine if she needs a nursing home or is able to return to independent living or live with family.

Shelly says that what I need to do at this time is email the bank statements to her, and she will get them to Medicaid. I will email them asap.

Shelly also said that I should speak to Sylvia regarding any payments. I am going to email Sylvia to let her know I am Mom’s Social Security Representative Payee and find out what arrangements need to be made.

About an hour later, my sister emailed Sylvia:

Hi, Sylvia.

Thank you for connecting me to Shelly. When she and I spoke, she directed me back to you to discuss any other payments for my mom. As her Social Security Representative Payee, I would like to make arrangements with you for payment. At this time, I feel more comfortable sending you a check versus having the funds go to directly to you, simply because Mom has been moved so many times. If things fall into place well, and Mom is able to stay at Woodland for a longer term, then I am happy to arrange the direct payments.

Please let me know the next steps I need to take.

Thank you for your help in caring for my mother.

A Call from Dr. Peele

July 17th, 2012 @ 10:19 am

I just finished a thirty-minute phone call with Dr. Peele, the doctor who is seeing mom while she is at Woodland Terrace. After a quick introduction, I told him that the reason I wanted to talk to him was because of the prescription he’d given her for levothyroxine last week.

Dr. Peele said that every new resident is given a standard TSH test, and that mom’s was reported as 16.1, which is approximately four times what is considered normal. ¹ He said that when your body thinks that its thyroid isn’t functioning correctly, it starts producing TSH to compensate. I asked him if this could have just started, because Dr. Escander specifically told me on May 29th that her thyroid had been tested and was fine. Dr. Peele said that the septic shock — for which she was admitted to Halifax on May 16th — could have caused the problem with her thyroid. I asked him how that could be, since that was on May 16th and Dr. Escander said her thyroid was fine on May 29th, and he said that your body keeps “reserves” of TSH in your system for weeks. ²

Dr. Peele said that because of her condition it is very important to make sure her TSH levels are corrected, but that it takes a long time to see if the body is responding, and that he would run the tests again in eight weeks. ³

At this point in the call I stopped and gave Dr. Peele the expanded and thorough twenty-minute version of mom’s history. I apologized several times for taking so much of his time, but he seemed to genuinely be interested and told me he was thankful for all the extra information he could get.

Dr. Peele said that he would take a look at everything, and that he wanted to review what tests she’d been given so far.

He said that the problem with Aricept is that there is no accepted method to test someone for Alzheimer’s, and that Aricept is used to treat anyone suspected of having it — or any other brain injury — but nobody really knows if it works. He said he didn’t know of any research that indicated that it actually could improve a person’s brain functions, but there was evidence that stopping administering Aricept once it had been started could cause a decline in brain function; and that resuming the administration of it wouldn’t return a person to “normal”.

I told Dr. Peele that I was scared, because Jessica told me that (at my request) Susan had discontinued the Aricept on July 9th. He said that he was fairly confident that mom was still getting Aricept, which led me to be even more concerned because it would mean that Jessica et.al. had failed to give me a complete list of her medications. Dr. Peele said that he would review her current medications and he would let me know.

He also said that he knew Sherri had a psychologist and a psychiatrist who regularly visit Woodland Terrace and that they should be able to start seeing mom. He said that it was difficult to determine if mom had suffered any brain injury when she went into septic shock, and that if she had there may be no way for her to ever return to “normal”. ⁴

Dr. Peele said that he would do as much research as he could and that he would call me on Thursday (July 19th) to follow up. I told him about this website and he said it sounded like it would be very helpful to review.

¹ I’m a little annoyed that nobody explained to me that mom was given the TSH test and that was what prompted Dr. Peele to prescribe the levothyroxine; if someone had simply told me that I would not have questioned the medication and had them discontinue it.
² Dr. Peele said you could remove someone’s thyroid and it could be as long as two weeks before tests could tell you.
³ So of course now I am the bad guy for making them discontinue the levothyroxine; and I’m mad at myself because I didn’t think to ask him if he would call them and resume it.
⁴ That was pretty hard to hear.

Consent Form Follow-Up

July 17th, 2012 @ 8:54 am

I just received a phone call from Rosa Rivero, the Admissions Coordinator at Woodland Terrace. She was very apologetic for calling me so early when I explained that it was 9AM here and not noon like it was there, and I did my best to let her know that I am usually awake by 6AM and I wasn’t upset.

Rosa was calling to (a) confirm my wishes regarding who is allowed to be given information about mom (referenced in my email to Sherri and Sylvia last week) and that I am the only one allowed to make decisions regarding mom’s care, and (b) ask how quickly I will be able to return signed copies of the consent forms she emailed me yesterday.

She apologized profusely for the inefficiency of the State of Florida and that I had to sign many forms instead of just a single, blanket consent form. (I told her that I was familiar with government inefficiency and wasn’t bothered that I had to sign my name multiple times.)

Rosa let me know that she leaves the office at 4:30PM and asked if I would let her know prior to that if I’d be able to fax the signed forms to her before then. I told her I would.

Florida Department of Children & Families Website

July 16th, 2012 @ 7:10 pm

I am really astounded by the terrible design of the Florida Department of Children & Families website.

It is so unfriendly and difficult to navigate. And I’m saying that as a web developer and not as a person trying to use the site. I cannot begin to comprehend just how intimidating and useless this design must be to the elderly.

I also think it’s particularly insulting that there is a disclaimer at the bottom of the right column letting visitors know that, “Some files on this website may require the use of Adobe Reader.” Because you know how simple it is to understand how to install Adobe Reader and download and open PDF files.

I received the following email from my sister which led me to the DCF website:

Hey, David.

If you want to check it out, here is the online info for Medicaid:

http://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/

Click on “My Access Account” logo
UserName: [redacted]

I am going to text you the password.

I have attached the latest letter mailed to Mom at her old address. When I opened the account, the first thing that popped up was an option for paperless which I do not believe was there previously, so I switched to receiving emails.

I just read the blog. I do not like the idea of Mom having any bedsores. :(

Love you.