My loved one is being discharged but I don't think it's safe. What can our family do?

Tell the team in writing

If you believe your loved one is not safe to leave, tell the treatment team in writing before discharge.

Ask them to note your concerns and the reason for discharge in the record. Ask for a family meeting, in person or by phone.

A short note is enough. Include the date, your name, your relationship, what you are worried will happen, and whether your loved one can come home to you.

You can always give the team information, even when they cannot share medical details back (HHS).

Can a family member refuse a discharge?

A family member can say the discharge does not feel safe, and can say your loved one cannot come home.

That does not, by itself, give a family member the power to keep an adult in the hospital. A hospital can still discharge someone who no longer needs inpatient care.

Ask the team to write your concerns in the record, ask how to appeal, and ask them to name another safe place.

If your loved one cannot come home

Say that clearly, before discharge, so the team has to plan another safe place. Ask for the address and the person expecting them.

Where your loved one will sleep tonight is the question to settle before you leave the unit.

Ask how to appeal

The steps depend on the kind of stay and on who is paying.

If Medicare is paying for the hospital stay, you may have a fast appeal. The hospital should give you a notice called An Important Message from Medicare, with the steps and a deadline. If you do not get that notice, ask for it (Medicare).

If Medicare is not the payer, ask the social worker how to appeal this decision and write down the deadline they give you. Rules differ by state, by hospital, and by coverage.