Is it right for the hospital to place a stroke victim in the geri-psych ward and place a 72 hour hold?

Thank you Freqflyer & Give a Hug. The information I have received came from hospital staff and I have been at the hospital for several hours everyday since his admittance. Thank you again.

Dporter, I read your post the same as the writer above as you mentioned "He became anxious and attempted to leave as he believed he was to be discharged". Are you receiving information about your friend from the hospital Staff? Or is the friend telling you this? Just want to verify if you are on a HIPAA document.

It is not unusual for someone to experience delirium while being in the hospital... about 90% of older people have this, and around 30% of younger people who have surgery. It is quite normal. It depends on the degree of delirium and how well meds will help to control it.

Here's hoping your friend will feel better soon and probably will be transferred to rehab to help with the stroke.

Dporter, many people are glad to have their loved ones in a psych ward for 72 hours (or longer) while medications are reviewed and adjusted. People who are confused after a stroke or for other reasons often do much better if the correct medications can be found. Is that ideal? No. But it is often as close to ideal as we can come with the present state of medicine.

This would be shocking to see as a friend, I'm sure. My heart goes out to you. Be there; be available, when your friend is discharged into a more pleasant setting.

This kind of forum can be extremely useful to those dealing with loved ones with issues of aging. If cwillie's simple question upsets you, then I think you are correct and the give-and-take of this kind of forum is just not for you. Glad you at least got one answer out of your experience.

Absolutely not and I'm not sure why you would end your comment with that question; nowhere in my question was I referring to him leaving the hospital. This is a new experience for me and I am looking for answers to why they would place in Geri-psych. Your answer was helpful, however, your final question was unnecessary. You taught me a lesson, and I will not going to this type of site in the future seeking direction/answers. Thank you.

As a friend I doubt you are getting the full picture of what was happening when you were not around. There are generally only two reasons to place someone in restraints: he was continually trying to leave and thus was a danger to himself, or he lashed out physically against the staff and became a danger to others. In either case the geri-psych ward will be able to monitor him and try various medications that will help to stabilize his moods and help him feel less afraid and confused. Would you rather he was allowed to leave AMA?