will Medicare pay for nurse for intermittent cath in patient unable to
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Archives1
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I doubt it. They’re likely to require an indwelling catheter, like a Foley. Home healthcare nurses cost a fortune, and you know Medicare, they like to pay for as little as possible.
I just googled it and and it’s looks like they pay for supplies but not for nurses to do it.
I wish I could say it’s easy to do, but let me be blunt: for women, we have to manage to simultaneously hold a mirror, spread the vulva, *and* insert the catheter, with just two hands. It’s a very small hole for us, barely visible. I think it hurts wayyyyyyy less than having someone else insert it, but it’s definitely tricky to accomplish and requires acrobatics. I imagine for someone of your mother’s age, it would be even more difficult.
I just googled it and and it’s looks like they pay for supplies but not for nurses to do it.
I wish I could say it’s easy to do, but let me be blunt: for women, we have to manage to simultaneously hold a mirror, spread the vulva, *and* insert the catheter, with just two hands. It’s a very small hole for us, barely visible. I think it hurts wayyyyyyy less than having someone else insert it, but it’s definitely tricky to accomplish and requires acrobatics. I imagine for someone of your mother’s age, it would be even more difficult.
Archives1
Staff member
I'm with snow. I think they would require an underlying catheter instead of an intermittent one, rather than providing a nurse.
They make some very clever mirrors that the user can hold between her knees to help with catheterization, but as snow points out, it's still somewhat tricky for women.
They make some very clever mirrors that the user can hold between her knees to help with catheterization, but as snow points out, it's still somewhat tricky for women.
Archives1
Staff member
Snow and Itapilot, thanks so much for your thoughtful replies. My mother-in-law wouldn’t be able to catheterize herself at all: She’s had a stroke which has affected her dominate side and also has dementia.
Here is the thing: She lives at home with us and I am her primary caretaker for everything, 24-7. I bathe her, toilet her (wiping included) help her walk (with gait belt and Walker). She really is debilitated. However, I just don’t think I could catheterize her, and at her doctor appointment today, it seemed like we’re maybe one step away from her needing it. (Near constant UTI’s.) Frankly, I’m terrified.
When I asked the doctor about an indwelling catheter he said that there is even more risk of infection than with intermittent, so it sounds like that is off the table.
Here is the thing: She lives at home with us and I am her primary caretaker for everything, 24-7. I bathe her, toilet her (wiping included) help her walk (with gait belt and Walker). She really is debilitated. However, I just don’t think I could catheterize her, and at her doctor appointment today, it seemed like we’re maybe one step away from her needing it. (Near constant UTI’s.) Frankly, I’m terrified.
When I asked the doctor about an indwelling catheter he said that there is even more risk of infection than with intermittent, so it sounds like that is off the table.
Archives1
Staff member
Wow, you are *really* a saint for your MIL; most people wouldn’t even do all that for their own mother, let alone an MIL.
Frequent UTIs necessitated an indwelling catheter for my grandmother which was part of what kept her in a nursing home. Fortunately, Medicare *does* pay for outstanding nursing homes, equal to, or better than does, private insurance. Sounds in many ways like that’s where your MIL is heading.
Frequent UTIs necessitated an indwelling catheter for my grandmother which was part of what kept her in a nursing home. Fortunately, Medicare *does* pay for outstanding nursing homes, equal to, or better than does, private insurance. Sounds in many ways like that’s where your MIL is heading.
Archives1
Staff member
As, Snow. -thanks for such kind words. I really mean it. It often seems like everyone around us (family) is so critical.
Thankfully, we have a doctor who bends over backwards to accommodate us anyway he can. Maybe there is some way to stave off the catheter. I hope so. She is very frail -both physically and emotionally. She frets terribly at the smallest things. I just can’t wrap my mind around her leaving our home in her state.
Thankfully, we have a doctor who bends over backwards to accommodate us anyway he can. Maybe there is some way to stave off the catheter. I hope so. She is very frail -both physically and emotionally. She frets terribly at the smallest things. I just can’t wrap my mind around her leaving our home in her state.
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