Q: Does the hospital have a duty to discharge a person with adequate medications to handle pain?
My mom - 84 with dementia - was basically sent home to die with no added pain medication after a broken leg was fixed. No catheter - no nothing. Can they do that?
A:
Reputable and well-run hospitals will generally take a number of measures to ensure good recovery following surgery. This can include their social services unit making arrangements for post-op care in an approved rehabilitative facility. It can include arrangements for a nurse to make follow-up visits to the patient at home. It can include post-op physical therapy. A well-run facility will also advise the family with a list of medications needed after discharge - it may provide the meds themselves or it may provide prescription chits. But the bottom line is that a well-run hospital will typically coordinate with the family to ensure a safe and comfortable convalescence.
Tim Akpinar
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