My father had a stroke and went to ER. Not admitted. 11 days later he is still in ER. He has declined. Still no admission. What can I do?

Just got some calls from staff at two hospitals in Arizona and one in Utah. Yep .... it's happening. They are so short on staff and beds that they often have to keep patients in the ER ............. for days! You need to check with the doctor and social worker to find out if your Dad has been officially admitted (they can still keep him in the ER even if he is admitted). That's the key because without the admission insurance may not pay all of hospital bill and Medicare certainly will not pay for any needed rehab.
Good luck!

My mom, in the US, went to the hospital and remained in the ER for her entire stay. Like 8 days. When I questioned the nurse, she said that they were short staffed everywhere in the hospital and had to keep her in the ER to ensure she received the care she needed.

So it does happen.

The problem here is, no admission means no rehab and that is not okay with a stroke.

Dlounder, you need to advocate for your dad and find out what the real story is, then act like an angry momma bear if they are screwing him around.

Best of luck with getting your dad the care he needs.

Find the patient advocate and demand to know why he hasn't been admitted.

If they don't have the wherewithal to treat him, they should transfer him to a hospital with a stroke center.

Where my daughter worked the second floor flooded so ER was used for the patients. I would ask if not admitted how was the hospital getting paid.

HI - there's a dept in hospitals for you to file a patient complaint and ask to be connected to the Director- you need to speak to the head of social work there as well as the hospital administrator. You need to make yourself known - and state that this is a HUGE risk and liability to the hospital for mishandling your father - it's negligence. And, if you are able to, be present there, if you live near your father.

Today you need to push hard however you can - seriously (even if you state that this type of neglect should be brought to the media). No hospital wants negative exposure. Explain that your father is declining and the hospital is liable and held responsible. It is totally unacceptable. It's also impossible to sleep while being in an ER and being exposed to other illnesses, like Covid. You need to be your father's voice and advocate - be very assertive and forceful. I've had to do this for my father prior after the hospital kept him in the ER for 2 days - claiming it was a trauma center and the rooms were filled. If there's a better hospital to transport your father to, the hospital needs to take care of this in advance to ensure that he would receive a room asap.

Wishing you the best of luck ~

This is really terrifying. My Mom was admitted to the ER in March and laid in a bed in the hallway for almost 9 hours because they're so understaffed. She wasn't offered any food, I brought her water and finally I did have to start yelling. I am so sorry you're going through this this sounds awful what is happening?

May I ask a ? to clarify?

Your dad is in the ER--as is, he's still in the 'acute' part of the ER where they bring you for assessment initially?

This sounds bizarre and awful, both.

The average ER stay is 4-6 hrs, and then a decision is usually reached to either admit or release to home. I can't fathom being in the ER for 11 day? They're just not set up to do long term care!

PLEASE up date us as to any resolution.

This is unheard of in the US. Your father is more than 11 days in the ER and he was not admitted? Something is definitely wrong here. You need to ask the ER doctor about this.

Same thing happened with my 94-year old mom in Edmonds, WA. My brother and I were with her in the ER round the clock, talking with the doctors, nurses, patient advocate, anyone we could snag. (The social worker actively avoided us for two days.) This involves a Medicare maze of approval and payment, which I only partly understand. In order to qualify for Medicare-funded rehab, she had to have a 3-day "admitted" hospital stay, which the hospital was reluctant to commit to (short-staffed, plus a renewed Covid outbreak that kept more staff at home and shut down a wing). (Hospital can treat you, even give you a bed, without officially "admitting" you.) She had fractured multiple bones in her pelvis, lower back, and hand (but nothing operable - all just fractures that had to heal on their own). Without rehab she was going to be totally bedridden. She was in the ER for just 2 1/2 days (felt longer!) and they did try hard to make her comfortable, but it was a terrible time, and of course she was in a lot of pain. Finally did get officially admitted, then stayed another couple of days, for a total of about 5 or 6 nights, which qualified her for admission to a rehab facility.

Best thing you can do: rally everyone you know, everyone who can support you, to take shifts and be with that patient at all times. Make friends with the nurses and doctors. Learn where to go for water, towels, pillows, whatever your person needs. Be a friendly nuisance.