On Monday, my mom's nurse Kasey called me. She said, "Hey hun, didn't you ask for your mom to be evaluated by hospice again?" I said yes. She said, "Okay, Dr. D...." ***Sidebar: That's my nickname for him. It stands for Dr. Douchebag.*** "Okay, Dr. D. will be here today, so I'll get him to write the order. We need to push for this now more than ever."
That afternoon, I received a call from Dr. D. He said, "So I hear you want your mom evaluated for hospice again." He proceeded to tell me her symptoms and issues - all of which I am aware of. Then he said angrily, "Why do you want this!? I mean, is it financial?" as if that's ANY of his fucking business. You see, if I get my mom approved on hospice, he is no longer her doctor, which means he no longer gets paid. I said, "No. It's because this sucks, and she's in a prison in her own body. I want her to be at peace without you pumping her full of drugs just to keep her alive." Then he said, his voice dripping with disdain, "And why do you want Hospice Austin to do the evaluation?" He's the medical director for Kindred Hospice. He gets a kickback from them, so he doesn't want anyone to use anyone else. I said, "Because my mom's best friend used to work for Hospice Austin and has a relationship there."
He told me flat out he would tell Hospice Austin that she wasn't ready for hospice. I said, "Thank you. With all due respect, write the order." He did, and he wrote at the bottom of it, "Patient does not qualify for hospice."
My mom's evaluation was this morning at 10AM. She was approved for hospice in less than an hour. I am the one who knows my mom's baseline. I am the one who sees her decline. I am her advocate.
And hospice isn't a death sentence. People can go on hospice, improve, and go back to regular care. Will that happen with my mom? I have no idea. But I can tell you what won't happen: she will NEVER be under the care of Dr. D. again in ANY capacity. He and his 100% financially motivated mindset can fuck all the way off.
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