I’m not prepared to bring my dad home from the hospital

Dear Doris,

My dad has been in the hospital being treated for pneumonia and they want to discharge him in two days! He is very weak, requires round-the-clock care, and will also be on oxygen for an undetermined amount of time. I am scrambling to find services for him, and I don't even have a hospital bed in the house for him. What are my options?

Grateful for your input,

Martha R.

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Dear Martha,

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You should not have to scramble to find services. Hospitals are required to provide the patient and an identified caregiver with a discharge plan that ought to include instructions for care, medications, and community-based resources. You should have been visited by a hospital social worker to begin to set these things up for you. If you have not, it’s important that you immediately reach out to the hospital’s  Patient Care Services and tell them your concerns. 

‍I would also request a Palliative Care consultation. Palliative Care professionals help to navigate these issues, taking some of the pressure off the caregiver and ensuring that the patient is focused on living their best life possible, in the face of chronic illness.

It can be stressful when someone comes out of the hospital, but it is the job of the hospital social worker to make sure that you have all the services in place before a patient is discharged. The best thing that you can do is educate yourself on patient rights, so that when you are advocating for your dad (or yourself), you know what is required by law. This information from the New York State Department of Health is important to review.  

‍Also, Medicare patients have the right to appeal a hospital discharge decision. They must be informed of this right shortly after admission and again before discharge. If you disagree with the discharge, follow the instructions on the “Important Message from Medicare” form (you should have received this upon hospital admission) to file an expedited appeal to the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO). You can find your local Medicare QIO here. You must appeal by midnight on the day of your discharge.

I hope this information is helpful.

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Doris

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