Home Owner continues to ration out Daughter's test strips, and claims there aren't enough for her to test and treat for low blood sugars. She also is insisting on taking Daughter to a podiatrist--because she has diabetes.
I have explained that I am concerned that Daughter will seize on her need for a podiatrist as another opportunity to say "Woe is me. I am a diabetic." I have explained that the more they seek to control, the more Daughter will feel the need to rebel and prove she can't be controlled.
Apparently, though, since I am the mother who failed to consequence her and get her the professional help that would cure her, I am not credible.
6 comments:
Rationing the test strips makes no sense. She is endangering your DD's health by doing so. A letter from a lawyer warning her to cut it out or a complaint will be filed with the state department of health and/or whichever department issues her a license to operate the home.
As for the podiatrist, shouldn't diabetics visit one regularly? See sees a dentist and an OB/GYN, right? So would a podiatrist be any different?
The owner is an attorney. Case Manager met with her yesterday. I hope she talked some reason into her. At some point Daughter will need a podiatrist. At this point, her blood sugar control has been great and there are no signs of any problems. She points to all her various doctor appointments as signs of how unhealthy she is. She sees a dentist twice a year, has her eyes examined annually, and sees her family doctor (who handles ob/gyn needs) quarterly. She sees the psychiatrist 4-6 times a year.
My mother had to see a podiatrist once a year but she was quite a bit older than your DD.
The home owner would rather take her to another appointment every 3 months than get sufficient test strips to keep your DD healthy? I don't get it.
Here is another thought on the test strips. Maybe your DD's prescription for them needs to be changed (prescription not needed to buy them, just to get insurance to pay for them). My mother couldn't get enough strips until her endocrinologist changed the prescription to increase the number of tests per day.
Thanks. Her prescription has been at 6 strips a day for several years, and has always been adequate. I think this is a control issue, and it will be hard to address it rationally. I'm tempted to tell them to go ahead and do what they want, cart her off to various specialists and let them manage her diabetes. I will tell them that they need to make sure her A1C doesn't go up and that she doesn't have lows.
"Lawyer letters," as they're called in the trade, work well on other attorneys, generally speaking. They're a signal that you take the matter seriously and you intend to pursue it if the situation isn't remedied.
They may be hoping that you're intimidated by the idea that your DD will be asked to leave the house if you keep demanding more test strips than they're willing to dole out, and you'll let the matter drop. The whole test strip issue seems fishy to me.
You may want to find out what guidelines are in place for dismissing a client from the house. Does there have to be physical violence, threats of violence, destruction of property or is it up to the owner who stays and who goes?
I think it's up to the owner. They are concerned because occasionally Daughter tests when she doesn't need to and her blood sugar is fine. They are concerned she will run out of strips. My concern is she won't have enough strips to test when she's really low. I'm not sure why they are so obsessed with strips. Daughter hasn't had a severe low in quite a while, so I'm going to drop it for now.
Post a Comment