Granny Dumping

Specialties Emergency

Published

With the Memorial Holiday over it is now the official beginning of summer time vacation. Time for the family to hit the road, the skies or the boats. But what to do with Gramma? Lets take her to the ER. She hasn't appeared "quite right" lately. Heck she even peed on the couch last week. Im sure they can keep her in the hospital for a few weeks while we go on vacation!!!

Yes folks, this is quite common. I even had one pts darling daughter who overloaded granny on a salty bacon breakfast and skipped a few days of lasix so she could get nice and gurgly for us in the ER. Time to call social services, elder abuse.

Ever get one of these in your ER?

A few years ago I worked for a SNF that was a "prefered provider" with our local hospital and took admits 24/7 including from the ER, the hospial even had "our" admit packets for the ER doc to write the admit orders and the ER Social Worker had been "trained" to complete out admission agreement with a family member.

The facility was HARD core. The "responsable" family member was required to show proof that the Medicaid application process had been initiated within 3 working days or the facility's legal rep initiated lein procedeings AND a phone call was made to APS. My state is pretty hard core and DSHS [/i]WILL reverse a transfer of property if it occurs within the 12 months prior to an application if there is even a hint of inpropriety. Also, the family member signing the admission agreement was signing that they personally would be responsable for payment of the bill if Granny has noassets or insurance.

Anyway...word gets around, "social admits" are not as common an occurance as it once was (I think the same families are repeat offenders) and generally if there is an admit it is warrented.

Granny dumping is common here. One pt is in every few months with unstable IDDM. We suspect dear sonny-boy is skipping insulin then setting granny down for an all you can eat sugar coated crusty cream donut buffet just in time for his vacation. You just want to shake some people!:angryfire

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

On the other hand, my FIL fell 3 times in one week, Alzheimer's so bad he couldn't tell MIL he'd cut his head, she found the scabby mess the next morning. Took EMS to get him off the floor twice, sent him home the first time (because by the time he got there he could walk again), made comments my MIL overheard about unnecessary calls. So it was Friday night, with more "why'd they call comments", when he did get admitted with a broken shoulder blade. Lo and behold, trouble getting a nursing home over the weekend, she was ready to take him home Monday and they told her no, he was beyond home care. She's taken care of him for over 5 years!

I know abuse happens, but there really are people out there with emergencies on weekends..........

:chuckle Respite care wants to charge me $125 a day to take care of my Mom. I know if I could get to Vegas I could win a million bucks! Is there any hospitals with a low census where I could drop off my Mom and they won't get mad at me? ( Just kidding) :chuckle

:) I see a doctor for depression as taking care of my 82 year old mother with Alzheimer's is very challenging. My doctor said I must get some time away from Mom or I won't be able to help her. He told me "I really shouldn't be telling you this but if it gets too much for you take your Mom to the hospital and get her admitted. As soon as she is admitted go on a vacation for a week so the hospital can't find you. He said if I didn't take care of myself that I would be in no shape to take care of my mother. However, I think I will just get her into respite care when I have to go on a vacation.

That is totally, 100% unethical of both you and the doctor. If you need to get away for your own sake, do it the honest and legal way and hire a home health aide for a week.

-Julie

Specializes in Government.

In my years in pediatrics and rehab, we saw "dump and runs" all the time. Brain injured kids are great when the newspapers and TV cameras are around but after a year of so the "novelty" can wear off. NICU grads become less thrilling when there isn't staff to help 24/7 and wow, this is a lot of work. The realities of raising sick kids are grim. Most of the marriages (75-80% from what I've read) end in divorce. Sometimes the only pressure valve is the friendly hospital.

I can't count high enough to total the number of "he had a seizure" admits we got over holiday weekends. We were also the repository for 17 year olds with chronic illnesses who had fights with their parents. I'll never forget the family who brought their autistic son in stating a crow had flown into his head, he'd had a head injury, start an IV, quick! and oh by the way we're off for 2 weeks to Bermuda, isn't that ironic timing???....

Sadly, it happens every day.

Specializes in Emergency/Critical Care Transport.
This is terrible!!!!! :crying2:

Yes. Sad but true. Had several regular whose children called 911 and you had to step over their suitcases and wheel Granny past their vacation supplies loaded van. They would kiss grandma and wave, say they were coming in soon, but I know they were burning rubber outta their driveway as soon as our ambo turned the corner.

Had one granny come in to ED being bagged by paramedics, said pt collasped while enroute to the beach with family members. Where were the family? Oh they continued on down to their vacation home. Called the ED three to four hours later wanting to know what was wrong with their mother, when I told them she was on a vent they needed to come in immediately, I was told "We're down the beach, you want us to come back?" Sad, very sad.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

It can be difficult to deal with

but look at it things from their perspective

maybe they just need a break

That is totally, 100% unethical of both you and the doctor. If you need to get away for your own sake, do it the honest and legal way and hire a home health aide for a week.

-Julie

I agree that the doctor was 100% unethical. However, I don't see anything wrong with having Mom stay at an assisted living facility (respite care) if I needed to go on vacation???? Yes it would be more ideal if I could hire a home health aide for a week. I have heard it can be very difficult to find an honest and dependable person whom you can trust in your home. I have heard about home workers who come in your home and steal all the elderly person's money and valuables. :crying2:

This is just awful. I know there are much more good people than evil, but stuff like this always makes me wonder.:angryfire

This is just awful. I know there are much more good people than evil, but stuff like this always makes me wonder.:angryfire

Yes it is terribly sad. What's even worse is when a famiy member rips off their elderly parents. There was a guy at my LTC who got totally ripped off by his own daughter!!! He lost his home and all his money too!!! He had been very financially secure. He was at the LTC because he was "homeless" and they didn't know what they were going to do with him. :angryfire

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

I've experienced the Granny/Grandpa dumps in the past. PA's new nursing home diversion program successful in stopping this. Most elderly persons on fixed income or disabled adults qualify to get homecare started within 48-72hrs of phone call to our area office on aging (especially in Philadlphia).

After we brought 89yo deaf grandma home from SNF we hired livein care till back on her feet as I was pregnant. Night shift aide had the audacity to have boyfriend come at 5AM and cook breakfast for him--with Grans food. Well she was deaf but alert as a fox and had great sniffer, 2 sets dirty dishes seen in kitchen. I visited next night and caught them both in LR at 5:30AM. So yes, good overnight help is hard to find.

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