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Retiring with No Family?


songchick

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2 hours ago, Semisweet said:

Surely the fact that many patients have no one at the ready to drive them home from such procedures is an issue every day at every hospital. And even if a specified relative or friend picks you up, the hospital has no way to know if they actually took you safely home or pushed you out of the car a block away. So why can’t hospitals either let patients without a likely driver call a taxi or ride share that would accomplish the same purpose, or else offer their own transit service to patients in this situation?:mellow:

If you have had an operation you have to have someone with you afterwards, to make sure you don't react badly to the anaesthetics, or have any post-operative complications like bleeding or a fever. If so, that person would be expected to take you back to hospital. 

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8 hours ago, ryn2 said:

Oh, it is, but they won’t do the procedure without your responsible party there to sign.

 

8 hours ago, ryn2 said:

but you and the responsible party sign saying they will take you home and stay with you for the rest of the day.

I had surgery not long ago and was required to have someone pick me up, but all the hospital needed was my friend’s name and phone number to call when I was being discharged so she could swing by for the pickup. A hospital escort watched me get into a car across the street from the hospital exit, but they never laid eyes on my friend nor asked either of us to sign anything. And before she dropped me off at home, she stopped to run some errands.^_^

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6 hours ago, AmaechiJones said:

If you have had an operation you have to have someone with you afterwards, to make sure you don't react badly to the anaesthetics, or have any post-operative complications like bleeding or a fever. If so, that person would be expected to take you back to hospital. 

Exactly. I have a single friend who had sinus surgery a couple of years ago. He asked me to be his person to go to a couple of appointments with him and then to spend the night after surgery to make sure there weren't any complications. Luckily my work schedule at the time allowed me to be there for him.

 

I was also asked (and agreed) to be an elderly friend's designated personal representative (DPR) for her health care matters...and even ended up being with her when she died. She truly did not have anyone else, as her parents were of course deceased, she had never been married or had children, and was an only child. And most of her friends were her age (late eighties) and wouldn't agree to it due to their own health issues. (I was also the executor of her will, but that's a whole other story....)

 

It's a problem, though, when we have no one to rely on!

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6 minutes ago, Semisweet said:

I had surgery not long ago and was required to have someone pick me up, but all the hospital needed was my friend’s name and phone number to call when I was being discharged so she could swing by for the pickup. A hospital escort watched me get into a car across the street from the hospital exit, but they never laid eyes on my friend nor asked either of us to sign anything. And before she dropped me off at home, she stopped to run some errands.^_^

Definitely not the policy of the hospital where I work...someone needs to sign for you and agree to stay with you for the required time.

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44 minutes ago, teatree said:

Definitely not the policy of the hospital where I work...

Yes, that’s different and definitely more logical, since they’re actually creating a care obligation for the pickup person. At least the older I get, the more retired people I know who could potentially be available to pick me up the next time I need that.🙂

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1 hour ago, teatree said:

Definitely not the policy of the hospital where I work...someone needs to sign for you and agree to stay with you for the required time.

Same.  They may not actually DO it (stay) but that’s on them, not on the hospital.

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36 minutes ago, Semisweet said:

Yes, that’s different and definitely more logical, since they’re actually creating a care obligation for the pickup person.

That’s part of the point of the pickup person (the care obligation).

 

The reason a lot of places won’t do the procedure if the pickup person isn’t present is... what if they don’t show up?  What does the facility do with you as the day wears on?  When it’s time to close?

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I get the reasons for the policy, but there needs to be options for people who don't have someone they can ask to do it. (without costing an arm and a leg - ideally, it should be covered by health insurance, in my opinion, as a necessary part of health care)

 

You might not have anyone locally you can call on to spend a few hours of their day waiting around in a hospital. You might even have local friends or family who would be willing, but they might not drive or have a driver's license. The assumption seems to be everyone has someone they can get to do it, although it's obvious that's not the case.

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The option for medically necessary care is an admission or observation stay, but for elective things that’s not covered by insurance.

 

Agreed that it feels like there should be an option.  Maybe it’s becoming more common - as people have children later and as alternative lifestyles are more and more accepted - and will ultimately be addressed?

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2 hours ago, daveb said:

You might even have local friends or family who would be willing, but they might not drive or have a driver's license

There are also places (Manhattan, for example) where many people don’t have a car. 

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19 minutes ago, Semisweet said:

There are also places (Manhattan, for example) where many people don’t have a car. 

It’s acceptable for your responsible party to summon a cab, medical cab, ride share, etc., as long as they go with you.

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