It may sound odd that we would want the medications list from Hospice and the residential facility where the client lives. Below is a perfect example of why we need this, from April 2024. Hospice decided to wean our SCM client off her Oxy every 4 hours, add Methadone 5.0mg, then decrease the Oxy to every 6 hours. My client is a tiny, elderly woman.
They started her on 5mg of Methadone and it caused severe hallucinations and a non-injury fall. SCM worked closely with the Hospice nurse, in communicating the negative effects from this medication change to their internal physician and getting this reversed.
In less than 48 hours, SCM was able to facilitate the decrease of the Methadone to 2.5mg and then we obtained the medication list from the facility where she resides, and the facility did not decrease her Oxy to every 6 hours, but continued to give it every 4 hours with the Methadone.
Within the next 48 hours we had the Methadone discontinued and ensured that the Oxy was every 6 hours and added overnight staff until she was back to not hallucinating and able to walk steadily with her walker. Hospice is great and the facility is fine but the problem lays in the lack of communication, for whatever reason. This is a perfect example of why you need SCM’s dedicated RN Care Manager observing all of the moving pieces and efficiently facilitating changes, to prevent a negative outcome. All of our RN Care Managers are proactive in preventing a crisis or negative outcome by collaborating with all involved parties for the betterment of the client. The client’s family were so relieved and thankful we are coordinating all her care. She is back to happy, alert and oriented, with her pain well managed.
