I have discharged myself from hospital and I'm terrified

[Welshmaenad]

I need Hel and advice. On Monday evening I discharged myself from hospital (two drs agreed in the morning I could go as no medical need to stay but then they disappeared and I ended up discharging myself)

I have been in for 3 weeks, one in intensive care. They have resolved the medical issue but I am very weak. I had forgotten how low my sofa is and I am unable to get off it.

My partner is here and off work and doing his best to look after me but I'm so scared and feel stuck and panicked. I can't stop crying.

I am waiting for my dr to call me back. My backside is in a horrific state due to lack of care on the ward, so I think I need the district nurses but I don't know how fast they can get a occupational therapist to help me or supply equipment. I think the sofa needs raising up but it's a huge heavy corner

I was assaulted on the ward on the weekend and they were not caring for me at all (or anyone else as they were understaffed) so please don't judge me for needing to get out of there. My pressure area is already much better with my partners care even with me stuck on the sofa and I'm in much less pain but I'm having constant panic attacks and I need to know what to do. Please help.

I'm not really sure what you should do medically. Can you book an appointment with the GP?

With the assault did you report it? What did they do? Have you reported it to the police? Write down everything you remember inc times/ dates as you will start to forget fine detail

You should re present to hospital. The ward needs to organise an OT and PT assessment prior to discharge and then they will organise whatever care you need including home adjustments. If the medical team said you were medically fit for discharge then presumably you had an OT/PT assessment prior to this - everyone has to have one unless they are fit and well and do not require any help on the ward. If you have a pressure sore, depending on what grade it is, you need specific dressings etc to make sure it doesn't become infected esp if the bone is visible. For now, releive the pressure to the area by turning frequently. I doubt your GP will be able to organise urgent assessment so going back to hospital because you are not managing at home is your best option. Good luck

The hospital I was on was not my local one.

I absolutely 100% cannot return to hospital, I just can't. If I could get myself up from the sofa I could start recuperating at my own pace in my own environment with my own equipment (I was physically disabled prior to admission).

I just can't stop panicking about the current situation.

As PP said, if you need urgent medical help you are probably most likely to get that by going back to hospital. Otherwise I am not sure what else you can be doing except liasing with your GP.

It sounds like you've had an awful experience, I hope that you recover soon and are able to access the help you need (physically and mentally).

If the sofa is too low perhaps a chair would be better while you get better. I brought in a garden chair and used it with cushions when I was unable to use the sofa.

I would see what the GP suggests.

God im so sorry for what you've been through op. You don't have to share details of the assault. Id probably start with the GP and see if they can help.

Can you get your partner to raise the sofa with you on it? Car jack and blocks of wood spring to mind. My DH changed our sofa feet to bed legs to raise ours for me, although I wasn't stuck on it at the time.

Can your husband help you get up from the sofa right now?

I would get something like this for now - to raise your seating height - HOMESCAPES Cream Armchair Booster Cushion Large Firm 50 cm Square Seat Pad with Supportive 10 cm Thick Lift Luxury Soft Touch Faux Suede Cushion For The Elderly, Post-Operative and Pregnancy amzn.eu/d/gYvxoNd

And yes ask for a physio/OT referral from your GP or phone the ward you were on to see if a referral was made in anticipation for your discharge?

If you have a pressure sore you need to get that assessed and a treatment plan implemented ASAP!! Call your GP today. A community nurse can come and assess and refer you to a specialist tissue viability nurse !
If more than a grade 2 the hospital needs to be reported to safeguarding which can be done from the GP .

I suspect you have missed the boat in terms of immediate occupational therapy support - your GP may be able to refer but I suspect you will be on a waiting list. You may need to make other alternative arrangements.

I would present at the GP now for immediate and ongoing treatment of the pressure sore. They may be able to refer to district nurse or ask you to come in for frequent nurse treatment.

And ask the GP for mental support too - particularly in relation to the assault. Consider also speaking to the police and/or victim support.

I'm sorry OP I didn't realise you were stuck.

If your dh is with you now, try leaning to one side and shoving a book or cushion under your bum to raise you up to make it easier.

Hi Op. Ward nurse here. You say you were physically disabled before you went into hospital.Did you have any home help or adaptations at that time or, has your condition deteriorated? Are you off of your normal baseline? How is your mobility?

Did you tell the nurses you were going or did you just listen to the doctor's and leave? Do you have a discharge letter?

It may be you were medically fit for discharge but not socially fit. You may have had pending OT/PT assessments.

Phone the ward, they may be able to speak to the discharge co-ordinator who might be able to offer advice. They MAY see you at home. However if you have discharged yourself and have capacity they may not be able to help you. I understand you had a horrible time and that may have influenced your decision, I am sorry it was so awful. Have you reported the attack? Was it another patient?

Otherwise, you need your practice nurse to assess your pressure injury so it does not get worse. Hospital pressure is horrific so unless unwell unlikely to readmit you.

As previous poster says ring your GP and see if they can give you a home visit. They should have put something in place before you left hospital like visits from the district nurse if needed and OT assessment. Maybe put in a complaint to PALS at the hospital if you can be bothered about your treatment there.

If someone is struggling to get up a tip is to place a sturdy chair next to them and they can use the chair as a support to pull themselves up at their own pace. It's usually more effective than someone holding on to a person to try and pull them up.

I don't know what you're able to do or what position you're in, but perhaps that tactic will get you off the sofa.

No judgement but if you discharged yourself you have essentially short-circuited a few things and there’s limited to no obligation for these to be provided now. Can your partner get you off the sofa? You will now need to see your GP as first point of call. You can return to a hospital but to get what you need will likely involve an admission, proper assessments and whatever needed put in place prior to discharge. I’m guessing you don’t want another admission and to go through this process? If not, then GP it is and best of luck.

Agree to use a chair and get a pillow. You can buy a donut pillow from amazon (delivery next day if you want) which will alleviate pressure from your bottom and also put you higher on a chair or sofa.

So sorry you were assaulted. My 85 year old frail mil was assaulted whilst on a ward. Another, much younger and bigger patient, stole her glasses during the night, then mil got out of bed and went to get them back and a fight broke out, resulting in the other patient picking mil up, opening the window and trying to throw her out. It was only when other elderly ladies woke and started screaming and pressed emergency buttons that staff arrived and removed the other patient. They rang us the next day and apologised. We couldn't believe what they were telling us. Apparently they knew the other patient was very aggressive, yet had put her on a ward of frail old ladies. I would never have believed this sort of thing could happen on a hospital ward, somewhere you should be completely safe and my sympathies go out to you.

Are you physically actually stuck and cannot get out of the sofa? What do you think you might need to assist in this? Do you need lifted out?

Yes I am stuck. I could probably ask a friend to come over and help DP lift me, I can then get onto my mobility scooter which is high enough to stand from, but then as soon as I'm back on the sofa I will be stuck again unless we can get it raised up.

There's nowhere else for me to sit/sleep as I'm not strong enough for the stairs at the moment.

I wonder if one of those high reclining chairs that they often have in care homes might help you at the moment. I don't know if any disability charities might have a loan facility for such items? OT might be able to help with this too? You probably need to contact both the hospital you were discharged from and your GP service to see what support you can get.

I am thinking the chairs that tip forward to making standing up easier.

Phone GP and local social services too and ask for urgent assessment. They have a duty of care to you whether you self discharged or not. Please do this right away and discuss your options with someone professional

In my area local authority OTs would come and do an assessment and so phone number for adult services of you can get GP to that for you.

I wouldn’t bother getting a friend around to help until you know where your going as you will just be back on the sofa.
I don’t think you should raise the sofa, that sounds unsafe. Bring a bed downstairs instead

You need raisers for the sofa. Amazon sell them but you can buy them at disability centres or even pharmacies. Theyre just blocks the sofa legs sit on.

It might be worth contacting social services for an assessment too.