There's a first time for everything. I'm a little traumatized. I admitted a 80yr old who was d/c from SNF the day before. Originally the patient had a fall that resulted in a brain bleed. I arrived to find her with a very wet cough, typical of end or life or bad aspiration pneumonia. Per her very optimistic children they told me she was the same way to at SNF. She had recently had pneumonia but a follow up chest X-Ray showed it resolved( per family) The whole time I was in the home I kept thinking to myself she could not have been discharged this way. As I complete my assessment she seemed to become more and more lethargic and was very tachypneic with sats ranging 88-92.I finally said to the family that I think she needs to go to the ER. The family wanted to take her themselves but I insisted we needed 911, theyalso asked if they could just take her to a minute clinic, again I said no. I felt so bad sending her in an ambulance because she just got home and her family so so happy to have her there. The minute I walked into the home and seen her I knew something wasn't right, but since I'm a little new to homecare I assumed she was well enough to be at home since she was discharged.
Long story short I found out today this pt passed away, I believe it was the same day
the the nurses at my agency assured me that this kind of thing happens. Sometimes often. I feel so bad, like maybe I should have called 911 as soon as I walked in I know it's not my fault but I just feel so bad and like I did a bad
