Being nosey - Ambulance Service cost

[Jen841]

My elderly and unwell neighbors have an ambulance at their house at least once a week that results in one of them being hospitalized. They refuse to move, and to stop their unhealthy habits. I don't know their finances, but I do know they are not hard up for $.

They don't have children. They have outlived some family, and they have cut themselves off from other family. We end up with the burden of their needs.

Department of Aging has given up on them (learned via a family member)
They have been through at least 3 home health 'check-up' nursing care companies
They were under protective custody of the county, but that ended quickly

Moving us is not an option

We are trying to distance ourselves, running a house with two kids is a lot already. Trying to help unfriendly, uncooperative, uncaring and selfish people is too much. Other neighbors have given up.

I want to do the Christian thing and be a good example to my children, but at this time I just want them in a safe place for them. Any idea how I can make it happen?

Sorry to vent.

[liz]

I am sorry to hear of your situation. They are clearly taking advantage of you and your exceptional kindness. I do not think distancing yourself from this situation is un-Christian. They have had plenty of help offered and have refused it and it sounds like nothing is going to change it. If they are of sound mind, there is nothing you (or anybody) can do.

[minnie-zb]

I don't think there is much you can do if they are difficult and want to be difficult! It sounds like there has been a lot of effort to help them.

Are they members of a church? If yes, I would reach out to the church and see if they can help.

[Gena]

That sounds like a sad and challenging situation. I can only imagine how hard it is on you and your family. I know that it is also very difficult for older people who are no longer well enough to be independent. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do if they refuse help.

To answer your question about ambluance costs: that can vary greatly and depends on your community. Was it a fire dept / public EMS ambluance? In my town the fire dept will not charge you for ambluance services if you live or work within the town. (They will bill the insurance company, if there is one, but not the individual.) However, the next town over charges a few hundred dollars for ambluance services, regardless of resident status.

[LD92599]

Typically $35 each way minimum PLUS a few dollars per mile. There's also time if they have to sit and wait.

[ha98ed14]

We pay $40 to the city and anyone who is hurt at our house (and uses the city's fire/ emergency service) is covered for their trip to the hospital. That said, I have not always paid it because mine is also covered by my insurance.

RE: Your neighbors
God helps those who help themselves, too. It's not "Christian" of them to rely on you for everything, either. They are presuming upon you A LOT. There is nothing wrong with having boundaries. Think of this this way: you will be saving yourself from resenting them and holding a grudge in your heart, which is also not a good example for your children.

If you are comfortable, I would say something like, "We are not going to be available (or at home) much this spring and summer. The kids are getting into sports/ activities/ whatever and that's going to mean we aren't home as much. I just wanted to let you know we would not be around so you weren't counting on us being home."

If you aren't comfortable saying that, then I would just not respond the next time (or times) they need their walk shoveled/ grass mowed/ prescription picked up. You're "on your way out the door" or you are "tied up with the kids and don't feel comfortable leaving them home alone." Obviously if their house is on fire, you will call 911. But otherwise, time to put up some fences.

If they have a life-alert that rings your phone, you need to pass that back to them and find another person who can take on that responsibility. If there is no one, then encourage them to get one that rings their phone and if there's no answer, they call the police/ fire/ ambulance. Just use the excuse that you're going to home A LOT less and would not be able to respond when they call.

[Jen841]

It is the township service they use. I feel like it is abused. They are in it at least 1x a week for months now, if not more. The wife is too cheap to spend $10 for a taxi so she drives to the hospital and she SHOULD NOT. My parents talked to a police officier (they park in my driveway so the ambulance can go in their driveway) and they said they can't get their licenses revoked.

We joke that people must think we have domestic issues since we have a police officer in our driveway so much. We have seen it, and kept going.

They are not active with a church or faith. He is a member of the Lions Club, and I know they have visited him in the hospital.

She has stopped calling as much, which is good. She chewed me out for not helping them one day b/c we were taking our son to a basketball game and would not come back to start her car for her (she has a hard time figuring out the keys.) Thanks to the Bernstein Bears, my kids say she has the Gimmies.

He went off today in an ambulance. His car is parallel to their driveway stuck in the grass (rain storm last night.) He misses the driveway a lot lately when backing up in it. I think she drove to see him. If something happens to her while out and about I'll be called (i.e., she fell as CVS and had me called.)

[ha98ed14]

is parallel to their driveway stuck in the grass (rain storm last night.) He misses the driveway a lot lately when backing up in it. I think she drove to see him. If something happens to her while out and about I'll be called (i.e., she fell as CVS and had me called.)

Did you come running? That's where you need to say to the hospital, "I'm sorry, but I am not her guardian and I am not able to respond at this time."

The parking in your driveway... you could look at is as, "I'm happy that the police responded and not me!"

[TwoBees]

Maybe you should drop a brochure for Ann's Choice in their mailbox
(I'm not kidding).

[Gena]

It is the township service they use. I feel like it is abused. They are in it at least 1x a week for months now, if not more.

I understand what you mean. DH is a volunteer FireFighter/EMT in our town. His department also has a few "frequent fliers", generally they are either people who are elderly and lonely or people who are habitually intoxicated (to phrase it nicely). I think nearly every EMS department deals with this.

In our town, the city can fine you for abuse of services if you repeated call for an amblulance when it is not warranted. However, with elderly patients who are in poor general health, this can be difficult to determine and generally the EMS personnel feel that it is better to be safe than sorry.

[peanut520]

wow, dh's bill was $700 from the car accident. i dont know that is treated the same or differently. luckily it was the other drivers fault so it went on their insurance.

[ha98ed14]

Maybe you should drop a brochure for Ann's Choice in their mailbox
(I'm not kidding).

Or if you are feeling :icon_twisted:, a brochure for pre-planning their funeral.

[MMEand1]

My DH was taken by ambulance to the hospital in December when he suffered kidney failure and was unable to get to the car on his own. He was in a lot of pain and we ended up calling 911 since we did not know what was wrong with him. The ambulance ride for an 8 mile trip was $601. I really had no idea! I worked for the parish in Louisiana as an EMT with the city Fire Department and never realized that folks received a bill for those services. I figured it was part of the taxes!

[Jo..]

Here they add a few dollars per month to our water bill for 911 services including fire and ambulance, so there is no out of pocket cost when utilized.

Our neighbors sound similar to yours health-wise, but yours sound like buttholes whereas ours are kind and giving and wonderful. They are just stubborn old folks without any family nearby, so we do what we can for them. If they were nasty, we'd do little to nothing.