As you know, we had to move Chris into a skilled nursing facility. Chris is currently in a facility in North Austin. Not the best of situations given Chris’s age and needs but it is only temporary as we work our way through the next phase, which is, hopefully, more rehab. The family, particularly Mom and Robert, is continuing to do range-of-motion exercises with Chris daily and although there isn’t really anywhere to go in terms of being in the nursing home, Robert has signed Chris out for a “day trip,” to his apartment about a half mile down the road where he “stole Chris away for a couple hours of mental therapy!” Chris in his wheelchair and Robert pushing him to the apartment. And they hung out where else but the garage, where the “toys” are. Two motorcycles and an assortment of tools. Not to mention the garage with all Chris’s gear and motorcycles. Of course, Robert putting Chris’s hand on the throttle of his Triumph and revving a few times is considered therapy! It stimulates the senses. We’re looking into outpatient rehab while Chris is in the nursing home. The nursing home is the interim measure after United Health Care stopped paying the bill while Chris was in Texas Neuro Rehab hospital. I didn’t know an insurance company could cut you off while you are in hospital but they can and did! Thank you United Health Care. I wish all the leadership at United Healthcare TBIs for Christmas!
Health care in this country should not be dictated by corporate profits and care should not be relegated to an insurance company in terms of decisions about who gets care and who doesn’t.
The next phase for us is state funding. Texas is actually one of the few states that does provide state funding for traumatic brain injury. United Health Care additionally refused to provide a skilled nursing benefit for Chris even though it’s in the policy.
We’re hoping for continued rehab and we will keep you all posted on our progress. Chris does have some on-command movement in his arms and legs/feet, albeit slight and with quite an effort on his part. But it’s there! Cognitively, we think Chris is doing well in answering our questions and we know over time this will continue to get better. Intermediate term, we want to move Chris to San Antonio for the next phase of intense rehab and Hyperbaric treatments along with nutritional supplements that are showing a great deal of promise for traumatic brain injury. Long term we intend to bring Chris back to Alabama to be at home with us. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has a TBI model system program at the Spain Rehab Center so we will be fairly close on an outpatient basis. Please keep Chris in your thoughts and prayers. God Bless you all. Stay safe!
Bob,Robert,& Jackie,
Your entry makes complete sense from Chris’ mental health outing, to outpatient therapy, to the goal of intensive therapy & diet. I know at this point you all need to steal Chris away and he needs that too. All the investigating and planning you are doing is a fulltime labor of love. Chris can anwer your questions via nods and that in itself gives one so much faith in what he will yet be able to achieve. There isn’t a day that you are not in our thoughts. As far as United Healthcare goes they should have a new goal “people matter and each is precious” but that isn’t in the cards. To them it is just business nothing compassionate. You all are the ones helping Chris and looking out for him. Hope you will be able to move Christopher to Austin soon. Pam