Trying to get nursing home placement help through hospital. How should I proceed?

Your profile has helpful info:

"I am the only living child that has been willing to help with my mother. She is not capable of driving. I pick up her groceries and take her to the doctor. She is now accusing me of bank theft and this is not the first time. She is now threatening to have me and my husband arrested. She has cancelled her debit card I use to buy her groceries. I have no idea what or how to proceed. I am over the responsibility but no where to turn. I do have a call into her doctor. I do not have power of attorney and do not want the responsibility. Any advice is appreciated. Her only income is social security and there is no property or savings. "

You will need to wait for the county to gain guardianship of your mom. If you are not her Medical Representative I'm not sure what info the medical team will discuss with you (HIPAA laws), even if you're her next-of-kin. I agree you should be proactive with the social workers to help expedite her place so they're appreciative of any helpful info BUT just understand you have no control, even where she ultimately is placed. If they put her in a facility too far from you, you can appeal to move her closer (they did this for our family). I'm hoping they tested her for a UTI as this can really impact the elderly's behavior and cognition. I wish you peace in your heart over all of this.

Hospitals do not MAKE money by keeping patients in. They actual lose money. Which is why they kick you out often earlier than you should be. They are paid in the case of medicare by what are called DRGs unless this is changed since my retirement. So, say you come in with pneumonia. They allow the hospital full pay for three days at a guess. So if you stay longer they lose. If they can get you out in two days they gain. A complicated system to be certain.
They get paid differently for observation, and if they have no good diagnosis to admit on they will try to get you to take the patient home.
They will admit if you say you have no intention of accepting the person home, that you cannot physically or mentally care for the person.
They must have a reason to admit, a diagnosis to work up. They cannot just admit because you show up in ER normally, but will likely do a workup if you will not accept the elder back to your home.
Tell them she cannot return to you and needs a full neuro psyc workup. Speak NOW to the social workers to tell them she cannot return to you, if that is the case. Placement is very difficult right now.

They aren’t running up the bill. How long has she been at the hospital? It takes time to find nursing home placement, it doesn’t happen overnight. It can take weeks to over a month during normal times (and these aren’t normal times). The hospital social worker should be contacting you soon. Just reiterate that you cannot take her home, its an unsafe discharge and she cannot live alone anymore.