How can I get my husband released from rehab facility following surgery? I feel he is ready.

Banty, get the doctors on his side, that means it is their call, not yours or his on when he is released. If anybody other than docs take him home, insurance will not pay the bill. It will be your personal responsibility if he leaves "against doctor's advice". ADA.

Thanks for the good input I've received. This gives me new ways to address my questions rolling around in my head.
As he did fall back into old habits after his first bout with cancer, it may be best that he remain longer. I may check with facility about addressing through therapy his alcohol dependency, although he may disagree with this idea.

Banty, also find Alanon meetings!

Oh I would wait, until he's stronger, way past him being over the withdraws from alcohol, as long as possible, as he's being well cared for, being monitored by the professionals, maybe even beyond him being tube fed if possible! Perhaps they will be able to get him beyond tube feedings, which is very difficult for one person alone to keep up with! It's going to be hard enough for you when he does come home. Take this time to get your house in order, stock your fridge and pantry, make up some easy meals ahead of time, freeze them, for You, as your time is going to be filled with caregiving, and you will need nourishment! I wouldn't advise rushing to bring him home, not yet, it's only been 2 weeks! Think about yourself this One time, as you may not get back this quieter time for yourself for a long time! Rest now as much as you can! Let him get stronger, in every way! Good luck to you dear!

Banty, you do not say whether he wants to come home. Does he beg to come home? He is withdrawing from alcohol and if he goes home he will be drinking again in no time. Leave him be, take a break. Because he is an alcoholic he needs constant medical monitoring. It is impossible to know how the liver will process meds.

A friend of mine, an alcoholic, passed at the age of 54 on hospice. He had not told medical staff at the hospital that he was alcoholic. Intravenous antibiotics were administered which his liver could nor pdocess correctly. He became septic, then went into septic shock. Let the pros care for him and make sure they know he is an alcoholic!

Banty, when he tells you he wants to go home, shrug and say, they say you have to get stronger first". Frankly, this is a time to put your needs first. Your husband needs you to be able to caregive in good physical and mental health
Getting him as strong as possible before you bring him home is of the utmost importance. Good luck, and let us know how it goes!!

Banty, I can understand that you might feel guilt over getting a rehab placement for your husband. DON'T! Given his combination of medical issues coupled with being a recovering alcoholic, take all the help you can get from the rehab staff before you embark on handling all of this on your own.

I would consider his alcoholic status as well. Was he an adult life time alcoholic? Have the underlying factors been addressed and resolved, or is there danger of a relapse?

And addressing only the NPO issue, this is challenging enough w/o any other issues. My father came home from rehab on an NPO status. I was trained in syringe tube feeding, and following instructions did so every 4 hours, at 7 and 11 am, then 3 and 7 pm when I switched to the machine drip feeding for overnight..

B/c Medicare wouldn't pay for larger feeding bags, I could only add 4 cans of the Nestle's Pro at 7, then added the remaining 2 when the bag had been depleted enough for additional fluids. That usually was about 1 a.m.

It only took about 3 - 4 weeks before I crashed and was so exhausted from the lack of sleep, in addition to the parade of therapists, that I overslept and missed 2 feedings.

If you don't have any help, unless you're Superwoman, you could easily face a similar situation of early exhaustion.

If the professionals don't feel that your husband is ready to come home I would listen to them as opposed to the surgeon. The PT's and OT's and speech therapists know better as they work with your husband daily. If someone is discharged from therapy too soon it can set them up for failure once they get home and they can backslide and end up in the hospital again having to start from square one. Try not to rush the process.

Thanks,Babalou, I believe i may feel some guilt for my decision. Getting him strong,physically,mentally and emotionly is the most important

Surgeons, in my opinion, are rotten judges of how "well" , holistically speaking, a post surg patient is.

You husband is a recovering alcoholic, yes? Is he on anti-depressants? Why rush him home? Have the swallow study done whole in rehab. Much easier on you all.