Tuesday I spent the day worrying if my Mom was going to be taken care of. Back in December of last year, I received a notice out of the blue that Social Security was canceling Mom’s benefits because I had neglected to submit the annual report on adjustments in her income. They use this to adjust the amount they pay her.

I’m afraid I overlooked a notice this was needed around the time of the big recital in October. Anyway, I immediately took steps to submit this information. This is what I thought the next step was. Then i received a billing for Mom’s Medicare insurance because SS had stopped paying it. I was sure that I had paid this, but we couldn’t find a canceled check in Mom’s account.

It took two days for the hospital to get an okay from Mom’s insurance (Aetna/Medicare) that she could proceed to the off site Rehab center. I was terrified that it was delayed because she had lost her benefits and that they wouldn’t take her.

About 4 or 5 PM last night we got the call that the paper work had come through okay. Big sigh! This rehab center is part of the big Resthaven complex which includes where Mom has been living and also Boersma cottage where Dad died.

Eileen and I met with the admissions person today. I almost wept when she assured us that though the plan is to try to get Mom functioning enough to return to Maplewood, her nursing home, they would continue to care for her no matter what until death. And that they would help us with the transition from Medicare to Medicaid (a big deal for me!).

Where Mom is staying is very like the cottage where Dad was so well cared for as he was dying. In fact Boersma cottage where he stayed is across the parking lot from the Rehab Cottage. She has a nice little apartment. We took over clothes, pictures, books, her hearing aids, her walker, her favorite sitting blanket, and some other stuff. There is all kinds of exercising equipment available. I am expecting them to do physical therapy with her. Yesterday when we visited her at the hospital, the physical therapists couldn’t get her to take more than a few steps. She is very weak and largely non-communicative. Her myasthenia gravis is getting worse. This means she has difficulty swallowing and a higher level of saliva. Basically she has spent a lot of the last few days very miserable.

She is getting excellent care however, both at the hospital and now at the Rehab center. This is a load off my mind, believe me.