WHAS Comments from a Wayside Case Manager
Tim,
Just last month Dale and I did CPR on a client for 15 minutes awaiting EMS. The CT had gone to the emergency room at U of L at 2am that morning and had been released to the shelter. We received a call from the 2nd floor monitor at 9:30am about a CT that had fallen out. When we arrived the CT was non responsive. Dale and I went to work, called 911, began chest compressions and continued until EMS arrived. The CT had a pulse when he exited. Unfortunately, we were informed that he died on the way to the hospital. Here is a case where a CT was released back to the shelter and suffered a heart attack after being released from the emergency room 6-7 hours previous. We often have guests come to us from hospitals, emergency rooms with prescriptions that don't get filled. I can't tell you how many times we as case managers have gone to Walgreen's to assist CT's with the purchase of meds.
Often we have poor people dumped at the shelter via cabs with no meds and unsigned discharge documents, but nobody seems to care about that. Recently, had a man dropped via cab from Norton Brownsboro, mental health issues, scripts but nothing to hold him over until they were filled. Spoke with the man for several hours located some family members through the conversation and was able to get him reconnected with his family and some help. Because of the severe situations and problems our guests come to us with I will never take a chance with a guests medical/emotional needs. Their lives are to important to make an impoper or incorrect medical decision, period. And because we deal with so many medically fragile individuals we will have more than our share of medical emergencies, it comes with the territory. It is incumbent upon us, as case managers, to provide not only compassion, but the best care options available.
Just last month Dale and I did CPR on a client for 15 minutes awaiting EMS. The CT had gone to the emergency room at U of L at 2am that morning and had been released to the shelter. We received a call from the 2nd floor monitor at 9:30am about a CT that had fallen out. When we arrived the CT was non responsive. Dale and I went to work, called 911, began chest compressions and continued until EMS arrived. The CT had a pulse when he exited. Unfortunately, we were informed that he died on the way to the hospital. Here is a case where a CT was released back to the shelter and suffered a heart attack after being released from the emergency room 6-7 hours previous. We often have guests come to us from hospitals, emergency rooms with prescriptions that don't get filled. I can't tell you how many times we as case managers have gone to Walgreen's to assist CT's with the purchase of meds.
Often we have poor people dumped at the shelter via cabs with no meds and unsigned discharge documents, but nobody seems to care about that. Recently, had a man dropped via cab from Norton Brownsboro, mental health issues, scripts but nothing to hold him over until they were filled. Spoke with the man for several hours located some family members through the conversation and was able to get him reconnected with his family and some help. Because of the severe situations and problems our guests come to us with I will never take a chance with a guests medical/emotional needs. Their lives are to important to make an impoper or incorrect medical decision, period. And because we deal with so many medically fragile individuals we will have more than our share of medical emergencies, it comes with the territory. It is incumbent upon us, as case managers, to provide not only compassion, but the best care options available.
posted by Tim Moseley at 4:25 PM
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