The pros and cons of hospital-at-home

It's easy to understand why many patients want to be treated at home, and for hospitals, the economics are attractive. A couple of months before my father died, he fell. While no bones were broken, the fall catalyzed a series of events that included hospitalization, a blood transfusion and permanent damage to his right leg. One day he could walk, albeit slowly and not quite steadily. A week later, the doctor told us it was unlikely my father would ever walk again. Less than an hour after that world-shattering news, a hospital social worker told us they were ready to discharge Dad back home. They just needed to confirm the address to have a hospital bed delivered. Unless we thought he’d want the ability to get out of bed. In that case, we’d need a Hoyer lift and probably a Brody chair.