General Assembly creates task force to study patient abandonment

The Delaware General Assembly has approved a concurrent resolution, introduced by Senator Nicole Poore and Representative Ray Seigfriedo, to establish a study group examining patient abandonment at hospitals.

When a patient recovers to the point that their health status is no longer acute, they are typically discharged to recover at home or in the care of a skilled nursing, long-term care, or other appropriate facility. When individuals are unable to make decisions for themselves, they may require a family member or a guardian to act as the decision-maker. In some cases, family members abandon the hospitalized patient.

A recent Delaware Healthcare Association survey of Delaware hospitals over a two-year period found that 115 extended stay patients were in hospital a total of 11,398 days beyond their period of acuity.

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The lack of adequate numbers of public guardians available to make necessary medical decisions compounds the problem, leaving the patient to languish.

“No patient should linger in a hospital room when they do not require hospitalization,” said Delaware Healthcare Association President and CEO Wayne Smith. “Some patients are caught for months or even over a year due to abandonment and the lack of timely acquisition of a guardian to make appropriate decisions for those incapable of doing so themselves. Allowing for a timely appointment of a guardian will also free these patients to receive home care or care in an appropriate setting designed to meet their daily living needs.”

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