older adult - constipation and vomiting - urgent care question

[Anonymous]

Op-your instincts were right about the ER! Anyone else reading this take note: significant abdominal complaints in a stoic (elderly!) person is ER every time. Hope your dad is ok, op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Sometimes elderly downplay in the hopes of going home.

yeah, 100% that describes my dad! That's why I'm so concerned... the fact that he called my brother to take him to Urgent Care is a big deal, and I"m sure right now he'd want to be home in hid bed, not entering the ER for possible surgery. )-:

But I wish he had gone to the ER at 2 PM not now at 7 PM.

It wouldn't have gone any quicker in the ER, OP. If he goes into the ER with his imaging results and a recommendation for surgery, he's going to be prioritized. Waiting to be triaged in the ER then waiting one's turn for scans, X rays or ultrasounds can take 6 hours or more.

I hope your father does well! Please update when you can.

[Anonymous]

My first thought would be bowel obstruction.

[Anonymous]

I'm so frustrated... last I heard (9:00 pm) Dad was STILL at urgent care "waiting for transport" to the ER. He hadn't even been assessed in the ER by that time; he was just sitting/lying in a bed at urgent care waiting for the medical transport.

[Anonymous]

Waiting for transport?? Why didn’t your brother take your dad to the ER?

[Anonymous]

ER waits and triage are so frustrating, OP. I was in there with my mom about a year ago, and I alternated between sitting in the waiting area and sitting in her alcove and just observed the stupidity of it all. You can tell everyone is paid by the shift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm so frustrated... last I heard (9:00 pm) Dad was STILL at urgent care "waiting for transport" to the ER. He hadn't even been assessed in the ER by that time; he was just sitting/lying in a bed at urgent care waiting for the medical transport.

Why did they need medical transport? Can’t your brother take him? How did he get to urgent care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ER waits and triage are so frustrating, OP. I was in there with my mom about a year ago, and I alternated between sitting in the waiting area and sitting in her alcove and just observed the stupidity of it all. You can tell everyone is paid by the shift.

It’s especially frustrating if you’re finally initially seen by a doctor but then have to wait for services like radiology or the lab. Because then you go into the line for that, and when they finally have results, you have to wait again for the doctor to look at them. OP is probably lucky they got the scans done already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm so frustrated... last I heard (9:00 pm) Dad was STILL at urgent care "waiting for transport" to the ER. He hadn't even been assessed in the ER by that time; he was just sitting/lying in a bed at urgent care waiting for the medical transport.

Why did they need medical transport? Can’t your brother take him? How did he get to urgent care?

OP here -- I KNOW, RIGHT???

I could try to explain family dynamics here, but basically boils down to lack of communication.

Dad's at the hospital now, being prepped for surgery.

[Anonymous]

OP hope surgery goes well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP hope surgery goes well.

It did - my sister is picking him up from the hospital today around 3 PM!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm so frustrated... last I heard (9:00 pm) Dad was STILL at urgent care "waiting for transport" to the ER. He hadn't even been assessed in the ER by that time; he was just sitting/lying in a bed at urgent care waiting for the medical transport.

Why did they need medical transport? Can’t your brother take him? How did he get to urgent care?

OP here -- I KNOW, RIGHT???

I could try to explain family dynamics here, but basically boils down to lack of communication.

Dad's at the hospital now, being prepped for surgery.

Once the UC deemed it medically necessary for him to need to go to the ER, he would have had to leave AMA from UC to go to the ED. Now, that's the option I probably would have gone with BUT, it can cause complications with insurance and it could cause problems with how quickly he got seen in the ER.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm so frustrated... last I heard (9:00 pm) Dad was STILL at urgent care "waiting for transport" to the ER. He hadn't even been assessed in the ER by that time; he was just sitting/lying in a bed at urgent care waiting for the medical transport.

Why did they need medical transport? Can’t your brother take him? How did he get to urgent care?

OP here -- I KNOW, RIGHT???

I could try to explain family dynamics here, but basically boils down to lack of communication.

Dad's at the hospital now, being prepped for surgery.

Once the UC deemed it medically necessary for him to need to go to the ER, he would have had to leave AMA from UC to go to the ED. Now, that's the option I probably would have gone with BUT, it can cause complications with insurance and it could cause problems with how quickly he got seen in the ER.

Really? I've driven my kid from UC to ER with orders for imaging already put in at the ER and we didn't wait once we got there or have any insurance issues with the resulting surgery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm so frustrated... last I heard (9:00 pm) Dad was STILL at urgent care "waiting for transport" to the ER. He hadn't even been assessed in the ER by that time; he was just sitting/lying in a bed at urgent care waiting for the medical transport.

Why did they need medical transport? Can’t your brother take him? How did he get to urgent care?

OP here -- I KNOW, RIGHT???

I could try to explain family dynamics here, but basically boils down to lack of communication.

Dad's at the hospital now, being prepped for surgery.

Once the UC deemed it medically necessary for him to need to go to the ER, he would have had to leave AMA from UC to go to the ED. Now, that's the option I probably would have gone with BUT, it can cause complications with insurance and it could cause problems with how quickly he got seen in the ER.

That's a medical urban legend. Medicare would have no problems if my dad had skipped the medical transport and gone straight to the ER.

[Anonymous]

Back to OP, please let us know how he's doing.