Don't Go There

If anyone reading this ever has an occasion where they or a loved one may go into Newcomb Hospital in New Jersey, please take some advice: Don't Go There.

We just got a message from Newcomb Hospital a few minutes ago. It was the hospital social worker, wanting to contact us and have us answer a few questions so that they could ascertain "what [my grandmother] might need when she's ready for discharge".

The lack of communication displayed here between the different people responsible for her well-being is so profoundly disturbing to me that it boggles the mind. Doesn't her file mention the fact that she's only being given comfort measures from this point until her death? Doesn't it mention the fact that she's not going to be discharged, since she's not going to get better? The only thing she's even being given anymore is a form of morphine if/when she displays pain.

I only hope they coordinate better for seeing to the care and well-being of their patients who still have a chance to live... but I very much doubt that they do, if they are wasting time calling up the relatives of terminal patients wanting to talk about an assessment to see what the patient's needs will be upon discharge.