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Strader Asked April 2020

Can a nursing home send a 3-year resident to hospital for suspected COVID-19 and then refuse to take them back?

My mother was sent from her nursing home to the ER March 20, 2020 with a high fever, the nursing home was already on lock down from initial Coronavirus guidelines. She was tested at ER and it took 15 days for her results to come in. In the meantime, the doctors at the hospital determined she had a UTI and complication from a diverticulitus infection. They say she is inoperable and placed her on hospice palliative care and she is terminal within the next couple of months or less.


It was our desire for my mom to return to the nursing home (her home for last 3 years) as a hospice patient. However, her test finally came back (from Mar 20) showing she was positive for COVID-19. 18 days have passed since she was tested and was quarantined at Hospital all that time, she shows no symptoms of the virus. But, the nursing home (where she got infected) is refusing to take her back saying they aren't set up for that.


Whats more interesting is this current nursing home moved to a new location and renamed their place on April 1st. It was known they were moving and all patients were to be transferred. They still moved even though they were identified as a COVID-19 cluster site. My guess is they are trying to "re-invent" themselves under a new name, and denying they have any responsibility for their existing patients that got sent out.


My mom is terminal under Hospice, the hospital is fighting with the nursing home to take her back, even showing she has no symptoms. And she is days away from Medicare not cover her stay at hospital any more. We are not capable of taking my mother in, she has too many needs that require a facility and staff for her help. We've paid over $200,000 to this nursing home as a private pay patient, and this is what they do in return.

Shane1124 Apr 2020
Mom needs to be quarantined somewhere. The NH won’t take a Covid 19 positive patient back due to her condition even in a private room, I’ll bet.
Louisiana is a hot spot.

Are they setting up an ancillary hospital space where you are? In a stadium or even parking lots? Army Corps of Engineers are constructing portable hospitals in a few days. Her needs are special being hospice and recovering from Covid 19.

Her situation is fluid as I’ll bet the hospital wants to DC her but the NH won’t take the chance of a positive Co-v19.

Sit tight for a few days and see what happens. But, realize she may be transferred to the first available bed and not necessarily back to her original NH.
This pandemic has affected every aspect of healthcare.

It’s really sad for many people as we have to adapt and don’t have much control or choices. I wish you luck.
Alicew234 Apr 2020
If she has had no symptoms for 18 days, I don't think she still needs to be quarantined. Maybe they could get another test done showing she is negative for the virus. Certainly, the problem sounds like it has resolved.
igloo572 Apr 2020
For her mediCARE, is she still under hospitalization?
Or has she been moved to a hospice either within the hospital (like it’s it’s own ward and staffed by a hospice company) OR was her bed converted to hospice bed so she didn’t move OR did she actually move to a freestanding hospice probably in building adjacent to hospital?

was her old place a CCRC? If so, how much was her “buy-in” to become a resident there? and is she at all paying “a la carte” for care or still using buy in $ at the time this happened?
or
was she private pay as per contract and the place participated in Medicare. Do you have the contract and any updates to the agreement. These usually go out in Nov or Dec as an advisory with the agreement signed off end of Dec or mid Jan.

has anyone suggested she get a new 2nd Covid test? I try to get that done ASAP.

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Strader Apr 2020
n/a

FloridaDD Apr 2020
What state are you in?  IN NY, the answer is clearly NO
Strader Apr 2020
We live in Louisiana. The hospital is currently getting in touch with their own lawyers and talking to congressmen,, etc on this. I don't know if I should seek out my own lawyer in the meantime or give it a few day to get resolved first.

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