Age 65

Sex M

Height 6' 4"

Weight 300

Race white

Duration of complaint January 2020 and 8 months

Location Chicago, il

Any existing relevant medical issues Diabetes, stage 4 kidney failure, depression, arthritis

I have 2 questions regarding a family member I'm taking care of.

They went into kidney failure in January of 2020, started hemeodialysis and transitioned to peritoneal dialysis around May/June of 2020. They are on 7 day a week peritoneal dialysis.

He urinates a lot, to the point that during hospital stays it has been commented on by medical staff. It has also been commented on by his home health nurse and his dialysis nurse that has visited his home. He's even been asked if he is sure that he even needs dialysis by medical professionals. He fills 3 or 4 standard bedside urinals during the day.

He has asked his nephrologist if it's possible that he's regained kidney function and his nephrologist basically has said he doesn't know. We found out on our own that the only way to find out is to stop the dialysis and run tests but his nephrologist seems disinterested in trying that.

Is is possible for someone to regain kidney function? Are there tests we can ask to have run without him having to stop dialysis? Obviously stopping without medical attention/approval isn't something we would attempt.

Second issue

He had a lower leg amputation this past October. He was told he needed to be able to stand before he could begin the prosthetic process. He has had consistent at home physical therapy since he came home but due to arthritis in his good leg he hasn't been able to stand. Because of the kidney failure he's been told he can't get pain shots in that knee. There was someone coming out every few weeks from the prosthetic team to check his progress but they stopped after a few months.

Around that same time his physical therapist suggested he go into an inpatient physical therapy program where he could utilize the balance bars and lifts to reach the milestone. My uncle was in 100% agreement but his insurance put the kibosh on that. We can't afford the cost to pay out of pocket.

His mental health is deteriorating because he is basically trapped at home. We have a stair lift and a wheelchair elevator but he cant get into the chair lift because he can't stand. Using a transfer board doesn't work due to spacing. Due to space a hoyer lift wouldn't be feasible either.

My question is, is standing a milestone that must be hit before the prosthetic process starts? Is there any way to convince his insurance that he needs to go into an inpatient facility for physical therapy?

He has drive and determination, he wants his life back, but with the prosthetic specifically we seem to be up against a brick wall. Any movement on getting on that path would do a lot to get him in a better space emotionally/mentally but I don't know where to turn.

Any help is appreciated!