Dumped in America

Nurses Activism

Published

bill moyers in the nation: for america's sake

america needs a different story. the very morning i read the message from the progressive activist, the new york times reported on carol ann reyes. carol ann reyes is 63. she lives in los angeles, suffers from dementia and is homeless. somehow she made her way to a hospital with serious, untreated needs. no details were provided as to what happened to her there, except that the hospital--which is part of kaiser permanente, the largest hmo in the country--called a cab and sent her back to skid row. true, they phoned ahead to workers at a rescue shelter to let them know she was coming. but some hours later a surveillance camera picked her up "wandering around the streets in a hospital gown and slippers." dumped in america.

is this the america we want? where the sick and poor are turned away from our hospitals to die?

Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

The thing that gets me is that the woman was DEMENTED. She has no ability to do anything else but wander around in slippers. Would the hospital discharge a child to a homeless shelter like that? The woman was just as helpless.

In this specific case, the details need to be known to judge whether or not the hospital had a clear, viable alternative to what was done. If they did, then I'd see it as needing to be addressed in one way or another. We'd also need to know more about the woman's cognitive status. There's a lot more to know than just that she had dementia.

It might also be the case that there weren't viable options. There are not many places that take care of homeless, penniless, mentally ill people and the ones that do are often already full up. Are hospitals responsible for finding appropriate housing and care for any physically stable people who walk into the ER? And if they can't find any, what do they do? That's a problem on a societal level and may or may not behind the problem in this specific case.

Specializes in Staff nurse.

...I had a homeless veteran discharged to the closest VA hospital for mental health after he was in our hospital for medical reasons. I had to have the cab driver who picked him up sign a form that he would indeed get him to the bus station and get the vet on the bus! So that is one way for veterans.

...wonder how many of the demented patients, such as this lady, have a family somewhere and she is estranged from them.

In this specific case, the details need to be known to judge whether or not the hospital had a clear, viable alternative to what was done. If they did, then I'd see it as needing to be addressed in one way or another. We'd also need to know more about the woman's cognitive status. There's a lot more to know than just that she had dementia.

It might also be the case that there weren't viable options. There are not many places that take care of homeless, penniless, mentally ill people and the ones that do are often already full up. Are hospitals responsible for finding appropriate housing and care for any physically stable people who walk into the ER? And if they can't find any, what do they do? That's a problem on a societal level and may or may not behind the problem in this specific case.

Seems since it is a societal problem our society has failed too many people.

She was 63. If she were 65 she could be cared for by Medicare.

Many hospital social workers get Medicare based on disability. The hospital gets retroactive payment for the hospital bill and placement is found for the patient.

Does anyone think it is OK to abandon people on the street?

I don't think anyone here said it's ok to abandon people in the street. But that's not what the hospital did. They sent her to the shelter. And the article fails to mention how severe her dementia might be. It could be that she's very mildly confused.

Will hospitals now have to provide shelter for everyone who is homeless? You know that's not possible. What are they supposed to do? Where are their resources?

So many hospitals are already stretched thin as far as there resources are concerned, some to the breaking point.

Where exactly are these hospitals supposed to send these poor people? And why is the onus solely on the hospital?

no one is in favor of dumping pts on the street, but what is needed is sound solutions not someone saying 'AIN'T IT AWFUL'

calif is sending prisoners to other states because of overcrowding why they find/build a place for the demented, disabled, and or homeless

The thing that gets me is that the woman was DEMENTED. She has no ability to do anything else but wander around in slippers. Would the hospital discharge a child to a homeless shelter like that? The woman was just as helpless.

People are bringing up questions with the assumption that society/government actually gives a rat what happens to people. It's easy to grasp the concept of why people are denied care/dumped on the street when you come to realize a simple fact: government is not in business to care about people or what happens to them.

It's sad to see people on the street and it's a sobering and depressing reality to face but I'm not wrong here.

If I remember correctly, there was a big "bust" on the mental institutions in NYC by people like Geraldo. They rallied to close down the mental institutions because of inhumane conditions. I guess they felt it was more humane to dump them on the street, because that's exactly what happened when they succeeded in shutting the places down.

I agree with you elkpark. It's great for people to find the problems and let others be aware of them but, what are their solutions? Who is held ultimately responsible?

We are all responsible to work together to solve the problem. I don't have the answers other than to put forth the challenge to work together to find a solution.

In downtown Los Angeles there are "hotels" that rent rooms for about $100.00 a month! A former patient, Korean war ver lives in one. He says, "I have a bed, a chair, a table, and lamp in my room. We men share the bathroom down the hall. I go to the laundromat. I could afford a TV if I didn't like my vodka. So I read the papers people throw out."

I walked by the place. there are no curtains on the windows but they are so dirty no one can see in.

I found these links. Probably a sick demented person with family or friends to advocate for them could access these services and have a place to live.

Disability Benefits

Benefits for People with Disabilities

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HomelessnessInitiative/

Skilled Nursing Facility Center

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