Does anyone have any experience with the Kaiser Rehabilitation Center in Vallejo or know much about it’s reputation?
My Grandfather has been in the hospital for two weeks, with an unknown condition that has made him suddenly unable to walk. He has been showing minor improvements and can now move his legs a bit.
He is being discharged today. The doctors want to send him to the Kaiser facility in Vallejo, stating that it’s their best care and he is a good candidate for it. The other option would be a local regular nursing home in Sacramento. He believes they only want to send him to Vallejo to save money because it is a Kaiser owned facility, and doesn’t want to go.
Him going would be a shake up our family quite a bit. My Grandmother is not in great shape herself, and would probably be looking at staying in a Vallejo hotel while he is there. My mother and her siblings would end up shouldering all the stress.
I’d like to know, will he get significantly better care in Vallejo?
This might be more of an IMHO. I don’t believe there are objective studies available to us, though maybe there’s a rating agency above and beyond the the basic state inspection.
I put myself through college working as a disabled van driver, and was in and out of every nursing home in that southern WI county on at least a weekly basis.
The best bet is to visit the facilities and talk to the residents and their family members.
One big factor in quality of care and overall satisfaction for resident and family alike is proximity to family. Except in extreme cases - really bad facilities, understaffing or bad staff, being close enough for loved ones to visit as often as possible trumps everything else. IMHO.
I spent a month there. It’s not a nursing home, it’s for rehab. They have rehab specialists that will try to get him walking again. If he can’t, they’ll see if he can safely use a walker or fit him for and get him a wheelchair. They’ll teach him how to get around as best he can and basically continue living his life with the impairment. AFAIK the maximum stay covered by the HMO is 30 days.
A nursing home isn’t set up to do that, it’s for caretaking / warehousing / long-term care if he’s ready to call it quits.
I have two cousins that went there for rehab. One for a car accident brain injury and the other for paralysis from Gullain-Barre. Both are out and doing well. Despite my personal dislike for Kaiser, this facility is fantastic.
I was in a car accident in 2006 and suffered a head injury, among other injuries. Once I was stable, I was taken to the Kaiser Vallejo rehab facility and stayed there for a couple months. The treatment was exquisite and I am much better because of their care. I don’t really have any experience with at-home care so I can’t really say with certainty that it is any greater or any worse. All I can say is that my stay was comfortable and the care I received was tremendous. Another thing to keep in mind: you will have a fully stocked hospital with all the equipment and doctors needed right there at the Center where your grandfather would stay. There is also a full team of nurses and a variety of specialists there full-time for any other things your grandfather may need improvement on, such as physical therapy to help him relearn to walk and occupational therapists for helping him relearn daily life routines with his condition, if needed, or improve his recovery through attempting those routines, if possible.
Coming from personal experience alone, I would recommend the Center. Having a full staff of experts was a tremendous advantage during my recovery and they helped me so much. Your grandfather may have different issues than I did, but the scope of care he will get is unparalleled outside of a center like the one in Vallejo.
As for the accommodations for your grandmother, they may be able to allow her to stay in the hospital room with your grandfather. My mother requested to come with and stay with me, which they allowed, and she helped me through my stay at the Center.
They recommend it likely not because they want more money, but because it is actually a great facility. It being owned by Kaiser also makes it easier to work through.