Ellen's daughter, Ann, had been told that Ellen would be moved on Monday to a Rehab facility and so Ann had gone to visit other family members in Delaware to discuss the situation with them. Ann felt that her mother was in a safe place--- Georgetown University Hospital.
Saturday at about 6pm I was called by a representative of Georgetown University Hospital (they meant to call Ann) and was informed that Ellen would be moved that evening to the Rehab facility. I told the woman that I was the friend and not the daughter and thought it was a terrible idea to move her. It seemed that now that the insurance had been approved that they were going to move Ellen to the Rehab facility. I let the person who called me know that the person she needed to talk to was Ann (Ellen's daughter) and gave her the correct number to call.
How had this situation come about? It seems that Saturday during the afternoon a physician called Ann to confirm the DNR that Ellen wanted and Ann said yes she understood that is what her mother wanted. There was no mention that she was going to be moved that evening.
The move on Saturday was totally unexpected and far from good or responsible care. Ellen was weak, fragile, and readying to go to sleep when she was disrupted with the news that she would be moved. A person too weak to go home and yet moved on a Saturday night. One can only imagine the enormous amount of stress this put on Ellen.
Is this patient dumping. How could anyone have allowed that? This is not the way that patients or their families should be treated.
