When will my dad leave hospital?

[Space_cowboy_]

Hello,

My father was admitted to hospital last Tuesday with high calcium. A CT scan was done and suspected lung cancer that has spread to the liver was diagnosed.

We were told he could come home after his lung biopsy on Monday, but he is still in hospital. On Tuesday the drs told him they would rather him stay due to his diarrhoea (this has now stopped) and they found a blood clot in his lung. Today he was told they would like him to stay for them to do an ultrasound on his liver. We have also been told today he could have home leave tomorrow for a few hours (would they give home leave if he is due to be discharged soon? Or should we expect he will be in there longer?)

I’m just wondering what sort of time scale should we be expecting for his hospital stay? I assumed tests such as the ultrasound on his liver would be done through outpatient appointments so he could be at home.

Sorry for all the questions, the hospitals are currently shut due to norovirus. So any information we are getting is being passed through my father who is feeling very overwhelmed and confused with all the medical jargon.

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Hi Space_cowboy_

This is understandably a stressful and difficult time for you all; the more investigations they can do whilst your dad is in hospital the better, as these will be reported more quickly and it would be better than your dad travelling to lots of appointments.

It is unusual for them to allow your dad out for a few hours then back in if the hospital is closed due to the norovirus, but equally they will not want your dad to stay in any longer than he needs to be. It may be that is the better way for him to see his family if you are not allowed to visit, but it would be best to discuss this with the ward staff.

It can be difficult to know when a person may be discharged as it could depend on the results of the investigations, but they would let you know if he was going to be in for awhile and the NHS is under such a huge strain they will discharge patients as soon as they are able to and have support at home if needed.

It may be easier to perhaps take him to the hospital cafe if this is available, rather than travel home and back again, and in that way you will get to see a member of staff face to face. It can be difficult gathering information over the phone.

Usually the consultant will do a ward round most mornings for updates or approve discharge, but there will also be a resident doctor on the ward you could ask to speak to.

I hope that helps and you are welcome to get in touch if you would like to discuss anything - ask the nurse helpline 0800 358 7200 Monday to Thursday 0900-1700 and Friday 0900-1600, our email is [e-mail]

Kind regards

Ask the nurse

The Roy Castle Support Team

[JanetteR57]

sorry to read of yours and your dad's stressful situation. As the other response states, it's much quicker to get tests done whilst an inpatient rather than him having to traipse back and forth when ill to be slotted into already full clinics for imaging later. It sounds as if he has had a few clinical issues to deal with so although stressful, it's probably for the best these are dealt with in the hospital so they can respond with the right kit, intervention and skill.

It can be hard to predict how long somebody may be kept in - they rarely keep people in if clinically well enough to go home (unless nsidered at risk if he lives alone) especially if the hospital has infections to deal with....

for now, just go with it and speak to his nurse or ward manager.

Patients' health can fluctuate so even if somebody is ok one day, the next may be different. In 2016 my dad was admitted with what turned out to be a new primary bowel cancer (his previous 2 were 27 years earlier) and as he cared for my mum at home (who had dementia), he kept coming out too soon only to have to return with another problem, eventually ending up in and out of hospital all that summer causing us all even more stress and no doubt hampering his own recovery. I just wish he'd trusted that we could care for mum so he could focus on his own health at the time. Sending you strength to deal with the situation so you can be there for him when he does come home.