There can be many reasons why an elderly patient might be discharged from a nursing home. Their conditions may improve to the point where they no longer need such close medical supervision. A relative or close friend may open their own home to them.
Sadly, another reason is that their insurance no longer covers their care. That appears to have recently been the case for one sickly senior citizen in another state.
His story is making the rounds of national news outlets. Allegedly, the 78-year-old man had been a patient at a rehabilitation center in North Carolina for upwards of a month. Suddenly, last week some problem cropped up with his insurance coverage, and he was abruptly discharged.
According to media reports, the elderly man’s daughter was informed that she needed to arrive within 25 minutes to get her dad. Understandably, the very short notice left her unable to comply. Instead of waiting until she could arrange to come pick up her Dad, the nursing home discharged him immediately and had a contracted transportation service take him to his former home.
The man was left in his wheelchair sitting outside the locked home in the rain.
The egregious treatment of this poor man belies the statement issued by the facility that declares they make sure that all of their patients’ needs are met and that they are both stable and safe when they are discharged.
The transportation company driver reportedly stated that the patient asked to be left outside the home. Regardless, this is a horrific breach of protocol that left this man in a very precarious and dangerous situation.
If you suspect that an elderly relative is experiencing abuse or negligence at a Missouri nursing home, speak up and take immediate legal action to protect them. You can be their very vocal advocate when they are at their most vulnerable.
