I live with my 90 year old mother. She has mobility issues and some cognitive decline but manages to get herself cleaned, dressed, and to the bathroom. She only needs to move a few steps with her walker to accomplish this because the bathroom is near her bed. She can no longer visit those doctors who are more than 100 feet from the parking lot. We used to use a wheelchair for those long distance visits but she no longer has the upper body strength to push herself out of the chair. Her primary care doctor has agreed to do home visits but some care requires special equipment (dentist, optometrist) She recently broke her glasses. Because her vision prescription is over 1 year old, no eye doctor will make new glasses based on the old prescription. I cannot physically get her into the eye doctor's office to do the necessary exam. What does one do when the 'patient' is not in a nursing home but too weak and infirm to be moved outside the home? I know not all people in this condition are in nursing homes, which I'm sure provide all these medical services on site. I'm sure there are people who have full-time at-home caretakers. How do those people, not just the elderly but anyone who is incapacitated, get to doctor appointments? I myself am a 70 year old female and I cannot lift or move her. My mother is otherwise healthy and will probably live years yet. She just cant walk more than a few steps. I'd appreciate any advice or thoughts on how to navigate working with a non ambulatory person.
I took my husband to a dental appointment when he was fully non-ambulatory, could not stand or walk at all. I was stronger then, and I could transfer him from his wheelchair into the dentist chair. We used a medical transport van to get to and from the appointment. I have also transferred him in and out of the car, and used to be able to hoist the folded up wheelchair into the back seat of my car.
I can no longer do those things!
He has not been to a dentist or eye doctor in 10 years. He hasn't been out of the house in 3 years. Fortunately, his vision is perfect, so no need for prescription eyewear, and he has no teeth, just full dentures, which he isn't even able to wear.
All doctor appointments and lab work (blood draws) have been performed by Home Health providers. He even had an x-ray technician come to the house, a wound care nurse, and EKG all done at home. I don't know of any traveling eye doctors though.
It's pretty important to get new glasses for your mother. I would suggest finding a medical transport van that can take her in her wheelchair, and hire an aide to accompany you to help with transfers and pushing the wheelchair. Ask the eye doctor if they can accommodate your mom while she stays in her wheelchair.
Get 2 or 3 pairs of glasses, in case she loses or breaks them.
Don't plan on future dental and vision exams.
When my mother ran over her glasses with her wheelchair, her Opthamologist was happy to make her a new pair from the old script.
You can hire a mobile dentist to come to your home, Google it.
When and if mom has a medical issue that needs attention, hire a wheelchair accessible van or an ambulance to take her to the ER. I'd also get her a hospice evaluation to see if she qualifies. Then the nurses and CNAs come to her.
Good luck to you.
Look around at the senior centers in your area. They tend to be accessible because so many residents need to get dropped off and then go a short distance to the door. Ask whether any of them have these kind of providers who visit.
A medical transport company would be more expensive but they could take her in a wheelchair or on a stretcher or a combination, and help her get upright at the destination and again when she gets back home. Since she'd only need to go occasionally, it would be worth the cost. They have dealt with all kinds of situations and medical conditions so call them and discuss her needs and limitations.
I hope you're able to find a solution.
There are transfer boards that make it easier to get in and out of cars. There are also wheelchairs where the side goes up for easier transferring. Dentist. Ask if an exam can be done why seated in a wheelchair.
You can just buy her some stronger over the counter reading glasses if needed, and make sure she's brushing her teeth real good and keep your fingers crossed that she doesn't develop any dental issues.
And I believe that some of the online glasses places like Zeni, don't require an updated prescription so perhaps you can order her glasses there or one of the many other online glasses sites.