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Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM , where we instantly improve the lives of Families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care, so that you can have PEACE OF MIND, real power, real control and so that you can influence decision making fast, even if you’re not a doctor or a nurse in Intensive Care!
This is another episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” and in last week’s episode I answered the second part of this question
You can read and access this second part of the question here. If you want to read the first part of the question too, check out this link here.
In this week’s episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” I want to answer another of our reader’s questions and in this week Lorna from Columbus, Ohio asks
“WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR MY MOTHER IN INTENSIVE CARE IF SHE HAS BEEN VENTILATED WITH TRACHEOSTOMY FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS NOW?”
Hello Patrik,
I’m reaching out for info and help, I’m desperate for any advice you could give. Info in the US is hard to come by. My mom is currently in the ICU at a University Hospital and has been for 3 weeks. She is trached, and they are having trouble getting her off the ventilator.
Sepsis is what sent her to the ER, at which time she was admitted and later went into respiratory failure. They’re not planning to release her yet, but I’m terrified for what the future could hold for us.
We have a “weaning facility” here in town, where I understand she will be sent after release from ICU. In the tragic event she is unable to be weaned from the ventilator, they’re saying she will have to go to Nebraska to a long term ventilator care place!! Nebraska! I’m terrified! My mom, our family LIVES in Columbus, Ohio!!! I absolutely under no circumstances will ship my mother off to a different state where she will be a number in a bed, too sick to breathe on her own. Can you imagine how devastating that would be to someone who is already in the grips of the most awful event of their life?? I’m in DESPERATE need here! I can’t find any alternatives as of yet and I’m just sick with fear every day- I can’t even keep food down at this point. I need to know what we can do. Something else that might help is that she is on the medicare/medicaid system. I’m just sick with all of this! Please help!
Thank you, Lorna!
Hi Lorna,
thank you for your email and I wish you and your Family a happy new year!
I appreciate you reaching out for help and reaching out for help is often the first step in the right direction.
I can understand your frustration with the system and I can understand that you and your Family are feeling like the health system is not treating you and your Family like you should be treated. It sounds to me as if the Intensive Care Unit are trying to “take the easy way out”.
I know, it’s easier said than done, but panicking is the worst thing to do for you and for your Family and of course, for your mother as well.
Also, three weeks in Intensive Care on a ventilator with Tracheostomy is not a particularly long time, for somebody the Intensive Care team may consider a “long-term ventilated Patient with Tracheostomy”. So putting things in perspective is very important for you and for your Family.
Generally speaking, somebody who is considered a “long-term ventilated Patient with Tracheostomy” would not fall into that category after about 4-6 weeks in ICU.
My first guess, without knowing much about the Intensive Care Unit that your mother is currently in, is that the Intensive Care team will be trying to send your mother out ASAP for a number of reasons and I will address those reasons later on.
Related article:
First, let’s look at the things that you can control in your situation. Often, a lot of time and energy are wasted by worrying about the things that you can’t control.
1) You can’t control the Intensive Care team’s positioning at this stage, however you can control your positioning that will counteract the Intensive Care team’s positioning and that may buy your mother crucial time and it may increase chances for your mother to be successfully weaned off the ventilator
2) You need to also quickly educate yourself about Intensive Care and long-term ventilation with Tracheostomy, as generally speaking there are unique challenges that go hand in hand with a stay in Intensive Care and ventilation with Tracheostomy
Recommended resources:
As I have said, three weeks in Intensive Care is not a particularly long time, especially with ventilation and Tracheostomy and it would help if I knew how long your mother had the Tracheostomy for and how long your mother has been out of the induced coma?
As far as the Intensive Care team’s positioning goes, it sounds to me like the Intensive Care team wants to send your mother out ASAP for a number of reasons
- a long-term ventilated Patient with Tracheostomy can be considered as a “bed block” and the ICU therefore is unable to admit other Patients that are generally competing for scarce, precious and expensive ICU beds and staff
- A long term ventilated Patient with Tracheostomy may not be seen as a Patient that is financially viable for the Intensive Care Unit and that’s generally irrespective whether Patients are on a government scheme like in your case or a Private Patient, as Intensive Care Units generally make their money from shorter stays
- Your mother may not fall into a category where the Intensive Care team has a high interest in continuing the treatment. I.e. you’ve mentioned that your mother is in a University Hospital/ICU and University Hospitals are generally speaking doing a lot of research and they therefore may prefer treating other Patients that fit some of their research criteria
I know that some of it sounds harsh, but it’s the unfortunate reality in some ICU’s and it’s important that you have an awareness of it.
Your job is to ask difficult and challenging questions to the Intensive Care team, because that is when you start having control, power and influence.
Related Article:
I furthermore have sent some reports for you that will quickly educate you on the topic of long-term ventilation with Tracheostomy in Intensive Care
Those reports should help you as a starting point and just by learning some of the things in the reports will shift the dynamics that you will have with the Intensive Care team and you will increase your level of control, power and influence!
Please contact me again if you need anymore help of if you have any other questions!
Your friend
Patrik Hutzel
How can you leverage your level of power, influence and control whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care?
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In your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT you’ll learn how to speak the “secret” Intensive Care language so that the doctors and the nurses know straight away that you are an insider and that you know and understand what’s really happening in Intensive Care!
In your FREE report you’ll also discover
- How to ask the doctors and the nurses the right questions
- Discover the many competing interests in Intensive Care and how your critically ill loved one’s treatment may depend on those competing interests
- How to eliminate fear, frustration, stress, struggle and vulnerability even if your loved one is dying
- 5 “killer” tips& strategies helping you to get on the right path to PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence in your situation
- You’ll get real world examples that you can easily adapt to your and your critically ill loved one’s situation
- How to stop being intimidated by the Intensive Care team and how you will be seen as equals
- You’ll get crucial ‘behind the scenes’ insight so that you know and understand what is really happening in Intensive Care
- How you need to manage doctors and nurses in Intensive Care(it’s not what you think)
Thank you for tuning into this week’s episode of “your questions answered” and I’ll see you again in another update next week! Make sure you also check out our “blog” section for more tips and strategies or send me an email to [email protected] with your questions!
Also check out our Products section where you get more Ebooks, Videos and Audio recordings and where you can also get 1:1 consulting!
This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
Sincerely, your Friend
Patrik Hutzel
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