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Lucy wrote: > Why will his neuro not admit him to the hospital for evaluation unless > there is an acute medical emergency? HMO's and Medicare guidelines require acute illness as a criteria for hospital admission. It's an expense saving policy. There is a way around the acute care stipulation - your doctor can manufacture a diagnosis. It really helps if you have an Internist over-seeing your dad's medical care. It has been my experience that Internists are more sympathetic with this kind of crisis, will admit patients under a contrived diagnosis (especially if nursing home placement is necessary - even on a temporary basis), and then will request psychiatric and neurological evaluations in an effort to establish a medication protocol. > > If a man cannot care for himself, cannot walk, cannot feed himself, cannot > dress himself, cannot clean himself, cannot get himself on or off the bed, > and exhibits irrational, psychotic behavior, does this not constitute a > medical emergency? Yes, it does. Your need to employ a doctor who recognizes that. . It may be that Duke University is no longer the medical facility that best suits your father's emergent needs. Is there a hospital closer to your family's home where your dad can be admitted? At this juncture such a facility would be more than adequate in helping to establish, and expediting, a nursing home placement. Please let us know how your dad does. ------ Regards Mary Ann > > Can my dad expect no more medical assistance than this? > > I would be grateful for your thoughts, comments, advice. > > Lucy Hartley