Woman refuses to leave hospital after being discharged a year ago

[Kadie]

Woman refuses to leave hospital after being discharged a year ago


By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer

Last Updated: February 16, 2005, 12:10:19 PM PST


It's been more than a year since Sarah Nome was deemed healthy and given her discharge papers.
Yet $1 million in unpaid medical bills later, she remains bed-bound in room 502 at Kaiser Permanente's San Rafael Medical Center, locked in a stalemate with the hospital north of San Francisco.

The 82-year-old woman refuses to leave. She said she has sued the nursing homes where she lived before she was hospitalized and now has nowhere else to go.

"The thing is, I have no medical problem. I've been here more than a year, never had any medication, never had any treatment, never had a fever, have a perfect heart, blood pressure is like a teenager. There is no reason that I should be occupying a hospital bed," Nome said.

snip...
Nome said the doctors and nurses "couldn't be finer," but she's missed the daily news since her television and newspaper privileges were taken away: "I think Bush might still be president," she quipped.

more...
http://www.modbee.com/state_wire/story/9976281p-10810665c.html


Wow! She has no where to go, so she just stays at the hospital. $1 million in medical costs that insurance won't cover.

[Warpy]

1. Something else is going on here

As soon as they find placement, her butt should be out of there. Perhaps her lawsuit is such that no nursing home will risk taking her.

It's California, though. There should be plenty of facilities to choose from.

Don't cry for that hospital, either. They'll take everything she owns and then get her on Medicaid. They will be paid.

[Kadie]

3. There are many facilites here, but not many available beds,

especially in the northern part of the state.

My mom is in a nursing home and I have tried to move her closer to me for many years now. Nothing available in my area. She has been on several waiting lists for years.

This woman wants to stay in the area that she lived, and there are no beds available (as I read the article anyway, correct me if I am wrong) The beds would probably go to those more critical than her. California is also facing severe cut backs in home nursing care thanks to Arnie. He feels that they make too much money. Many more beds are going to be needed in these facilities if we don't have home nursing care available. This problem is just going to escalate.

I do agree that the homes may be a little weary of her because of the lawsuit. How else does one fight for decent care? I have seen some pretty scary homes out there.

[NV Whino]

2. This is totally bizarre