Unless a ride or person is there any surgery center or hospital will not discharge you to a bus, Uber or taxi. most documentation insists on a person with you for the next 12-24 hours. I imagine many just have friends drop their people off, but if the center knows that you won’t have anyone with you they SHOULD cancel your case. I’ve had patients try to trick the center but the nurses can usually pick up on when no one will be home. The best was when a patient tried to go home after surgery on the back of a motorcycle. this clearly was not allowed either.
Just leave. What are they going to do? Have the hospital police arrest you?
If it's an "unsafe discharge" they might not let you out.
Yes, it's for liability. If they allowed you to leave by yourself while still groggy and you got killed/injured or killed or injured someone else they could be found liable for letting an impaired person loose.
The hospital requires me to have someone accompany me out of the hospital following an upcoming scheduled surgery to repair a partially torn Achilles tendon. I don't think my family members will be available, and I don't want to pester them anyway. Who can I get to help me? An Uber driver?
There are medical transport companies (like uber drivers with first aid courses I think) that can do this. They are a little more expensive than Uber though. Do a google search on Ambulatory Outpatient Day Surgery Transportation -- or ask your surgical center for a list. They gave my husband this information when he had a partial knee replacement out of state (even though I was able to travel with him and help, a lot of people travel to surgeries out of state and this is a common request). Best of luck with your surgery.
Guy gets a GI bleed cauterized in the ED. Pretty minor deal. Discharged a half hour after he wakes up from propofol. Arrived back at the ED via EMS 15 minutes after he left the ED the first time when he passed out on the bench in front of the hospital. Yeah, don't go home by yourself.
When I was scheduling a colonoscopy, a doctor's office recommended calling Comfort Keepers. They were not allowing Uber/taxi because of the need to have someone that can be responsible for you. I'd not heard of Comfort Keepers, but they provide in-home care and senior care, are nationwide, and apparently are the go to for this kind of service. They quoted me $150. I ended up not needing them.
I have to admit, I'm curious as to how the whole "They won't release you" works out logistically. Assume a patient has been admitted and, even if they had a person agree to drive them home before the fact, that person is unavailable. If the patient just starts walking out, does the hospital literally try to restrain them?
I have to admit, I'm curious as to how the whole "They won't release you" works out logistically. Assume a patient has been admitted and, even if they had a person agree to drive them home before the fact, that person is unavailable. If the patient just starts walking out, does the hospital literally try to restrain them?
Yes, they drag you back in and open up all your stitches as punishment.
I have to admit, I'm curious as to how the whole "They won't release you" works out logistically. Assume a patient has been admitted and, even if they had a person agree to drive them home before the fact, that person is unavailable. If the patient just starts walking out, does the hospital literally try to restrain them?
Trying to schedule a colonoscopy, I asked, and they said they would need someone to sign in with me. So they want that person there when you are admitted. They also said they wouldn't allow Uber/taxi. That sign in eliminates that unless you can get an Uber driver to also pretend to be a relative/friend and wait through the procedure - not going to happen. Might as well hire the Comfort Keepers service for $150.
The hospital requires me to have someone accompany me out of the hospital following an upcoming scheduled surgery to repair a partially torn Achilles tendon. I don't think my family members will be available, and I don't want to pester them anyway. Who can I get to help me? An Uber driver?
This is what family is for, ask them to be available. No buddies, no girlfriends?
If your girlfriend is not available, reach out to your side piece…
I think you really need to evaluate your life if you don't have anyone to ask. If you don't have family that can help you should have friends, running club members, members of your church, a close friend at work. Everyone should have friends that they treat like family.