RE: medicare revision and in-home help

[Guest guest]

After being recommended to Dr. Bridwell (by both you all and the local doctor) last September, I finally called Dr. Birdwell's office to start the ball rolling. I am in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. I am 57 and have been on Medicare since my scoliosis surgery 14 years ago. Does anyone here on this list have any experience with getting Medicare to cover in-home-help during the long post-op recovery (no bend, no lift, no twist and single mom with little support).

Carol in Ann Arbor

"No storm can shake my inmost calm, when to that Rock I'm clinging........ "

[Guest guest]

Carol,

Are you on SSDI by chance? Do you have contact with a local CIL

(Center for Independent Living)? If so, maybe you could qualify for

home services through your local Department of Human Services or Dept

of Rehab Services. I don't know how things work in Michigan, or what

your level of disability is.

I live in Illinois and am in a powerchair fulltime. I qualify for 6

hours per day of in-home help with laundry, self-care, cleaning,

cooking, grocery shopping, etc., and it has been a lifesaver for my

husband. I contacted my local CIL when home life became too

challenging for me to keep up with, and they set me up for an

interview and assessment with the state. After I got approval and

the number of hours allowed, I was able to hire help.

How old are your kids? Can they help you out much? Mine were 2 and

3 1/2 when I had my revision in 2007, and they were really good about

helping out around the house. I didn't have any in-home services at

that time, so I was doing it all myself. Otherwise, most people here

tend to depend on a network of friends/church/family to help out

during the rough times immediately following surgery.

>

> After being recommended to Dr. Bridwell (by both you all and the

local

> doctor) last September, I finally called Dr. Birdwell's office to

start the

> ball rolling. I am in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. I am 57 and

have been

> on Medicare since my scoliosis surgery 14 years ago. Does anyone

here on

> this list have any experience with getting Medicare to cover in-

home-help

> during the long post-op recovery (no bend, no lift, no twist and

single mom

> with little support).

>

> Carol in Ann Arbor

>

>

>

> " No storm can shake my inmost calm, when to that Rock I'm

clinging........

> "

>

>

>

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> d=24565/stime=1231445337/nc1=5349272/nc2=5579908/nc3=5202317>

>