Rehab Social Workers: Question About Unsafe Discharge!!

Location: California

Hi. I really don’t know where to ask this. I feel like I’m going insane.

last year my dad lost his ability to walk. He’s been in a “rehab” facility. We were actually promised that he would get 3 hrs of rehab at this place, but turns out his insurance didn’t cover that so he just gets trained nurses there.

Anyway, my dad is super stubborn and wants to be discharged. He cannot walk, needs a wheelchair (can’t sit in the wheelchair for longer than 20 mins), can’t use the bathroom on his own, and has a pee tube. We live in poor housing that cannot support his wheel chair, and me and my mom have to work / go to school.

He was super insistent and even told the doctor that once he gets home, he will be able to walk. I went over today to help him stretch his legs, it was bent and I couldn’t help him straighten it.

The plan was to wait for another 2 months so he can have medi cal. But he wanted to get discharge immediately even though nothing is ready. He doesn’t listen to us at all.

A few weeks ago, We talked to the social worker beforehand and the head nurse, BOTH agreed it would be an unsafe discharge.

But today the doctor said his condition is stable enough so he would be discharged.

Another social worker told us that if we do not pick him up, it can be considered as abuse. I don’t understand! And if we do not want the discharge we need to talk to my dad about it and convince him.

My dad said that it’s fine if we don’t take care of him because he has friends that can. But they are not consistent people who can stay by his side like a trained nurse can.

So if he does get discharged, it would still be me and her. He insists that he can walk the moment he gets home. But our place is so small and he has so much things that I even trip walking around.

I really don’t know what to do. We are barely getting by. I just want some insight on how I can fight this. How can we allow him to stay in the hospital? I know they’re not doing much to help him recover at the moment, but I can’t imagine him coming home will either.