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I find it strange that this person would have been released from the hospital without someone to be with him at least for the trip home. I've had even minor procedures where I wouldn't be released without someone there with me.
It was my understanding the hospital is obligated to know if he is going to have help, otherwise he would be sent to a nursing home while recuperating. i've seen this happen quite a few times. Maybe he lied about having help because the thought of going to a nursing home, even for a short time, sends terror through the hearts of most people.
I find it strange that this person would have been released from the hospital without someone to be with him at least for the trip home. I've had even minor procedures where I wouldn't be released without someone there with me.
It was my understanding the hospital is obligated to know if he is going to have help, otherwise he would be sent to a nursing home while recuperating. i've seen this happen quite a few times. Maybe he lied about having help because the thought of going to a nursing home, even for a short time, sends terror through the hearts of most people.
Our neighbor was released from the hospital day after parathyroid surgery and took a bus home. He told the hospital he was alone and how he planned to get home.
I worry more about after care. There was a man who lived near my parents who came home from the hospital in a taxi and then lay naked under a sheet on his sofa for a few days before my parents stopped by to check in on him. He had only eaten some crackers the entire time because he was too sore and immobile to get up and actually take care of himself. People underestimate how difficult even the simplest chores can be, and even the doctors tend to play off this stuff by doing outpatient surgeries and sending people home the same day, which gives the impression that "it's not that bad" to some people. It usually IS "that bad" at first with all the anesthesia in your system and initial pain and what not.
This particular fellow would have been fine eventually, even with his lack of support. And I'm sure most people are, but he sure did appreciate some real food and it makes me wonder about those who have no friends and family to pitch in those first few days. I will always be sure to arrange for help, even if I have to pay for it out of pocket, if I find myself in that position.
Every hospital has a discharge department/workers - and it obviously didn't do its job here.
For people on Medicare - the discharge department can sometimes plan to discharge you to home. But if there is any reason in the world why home won't work (like the patient has a spouse - but the spouse isn't capable of taking care of the patient) - tell the attending physician - and he can order the Medicare post-op/rehab stay. Robyn
Either my wife or I could eventually find out. That's life. If I die first she'll most likely eventually sell the house and move back to California to be near her children and grandchildren. If she goes before me I'll likely keep the house as long as I am able to care for it then sell and move into a multi-level senior community nearby to last out my days. Although most of my children and grandchildren are in California I have no desire to return to that state.
Do you mean "multi-level" as in high-rise - or as in CCRC - Continuing Care Retirement Community (and if a CCRC - with or without a "pay-in")? Robyn
I have a health care proxy, advance directives, and this info is stored at my doctor's service and the local hospital, and my lawyer had a copy. I have made clear to her that, in doubt, she should advocate for me to have the plug pulled (along with my proxy).
I carry a copy of the names and numbers in plastic in my bag in my car, gave copies to a friend and a neighbor. My proxy works at the same place as me and happens to live three streets away.
Any of us who have worked in the medical field fear too much treatment, not too little. And it goes way beyond "DNR"- there are all kinds of procedures and problems before cardiac/resp. failure.
I once had the dubious pleasure of doing CPR on a 92-year-old woman with one leg and blind, at my job. Listening to her ribs crack, waiting for the paramedics, who sort of pretended to do CPR as they got her in the ambulance, since they can't pronounce death. If she'd had a DNR in place, we would have repositioned her airway, checked again, pulled her sheet up, and wished her well.
I belong to DocuBank (DocuBank - Immediate Access to Healthcare Directives & Emergency Medical Information — Anywhere, Anytime, 24/7/365). This is a service that puts all of my medical legal directives (power of attorney for medical decisions, etc.) online for any hospital or physician to access. I carry a DocuBank card in my wallet that provides all essential information (emergency contacts, allergies, medical conditions) as well as a member number that any doctor or hospital can us to log onto the website to obtain my legal Power of attorney, DNR wishes, Living Will, etc. It costs about $50 every three years or so to renew and I think it is worth the investment. If I end up in an emergency room, the card is always on me so, access to everything is readily available.
no friends or relatives.
what if a loner get sick and is hospitalized....there is no friends or relatives to sign any hospital papers for him. What would happen?
To answer your question in the manner in which you ask it.........you would either become a ward of the state or you would die.
A loner might enjoy his solitude but will find out that they DO need other people in their lives unless they have a death wish.
I find it strange that this person would have been released from the hospital without someone to be with him at least for the trip home. I've had even minor procedures where I wouldn't be released without someone there with me.
You're not a prisoner and a hospital has no right to keep you if you don't want to stay. You can leave anytime you want - with or without the doctor's or hospital's permission and with or without someone to assist you. It's called leaving against medical advice or AMA. You merely sign a form indicating that you're leaving AMA and walk out the front door (assuming you can walk).
Well, I had a 98 year old friend who was in the hospital, then went to a nursing home for a few weeks, and they would not release her without guarantee that she had 24 hour care at home.
My Dad, who was in a nursing home for 8 years, could not have gone home without having 24 hour care there.
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