Ward Rounds

While on my gerontology placement in a rehab ward I am treating an 88 year old lady who lives alone and was admitted due to reduced mobility and increasing falls. She has been on the ward for several weeks and her mobility has improved and she has not had any falls. When I went to treat her one day she was very excited to tell me she was going home that day and she had packed all her things up. I was slightly surprised to hear this as I knew the plan was to discharge her but I thought it wasn’t until a week later as usually they do a home visit with the discharge nurse, OT and sometimes a physio before discharge when they are going home alone. When I asked her who had told her she was going home that day she stated that on the doctors ward round she heard someone say “I don’t see why she couldn’t go home today”. Once she told me this I realized she probably wouldn’t be going that day she had just taken the comment literally. I wasn’t sure what to say to her as she was so excited about going and I wasn’t completely sure what would be happening with her discharge. I told her that I hadn’t heard anything about her going home that day and I wasn’t too sure what would be happening with her discharge and that the discharge nurse would talk to her about what was going to happen. After treating her I asked someone when the plan was to discharge her and I discovered she was going to have a home visit the following week and then if everything went well she would be discharged a few days later. This situation made me realize it is important to be careful what you say in front of the patient when discussing them with other staff members as they may take it the wrong way. Although I cant control what the doctors say in front of patients on the ward rounds if I am on a ward round and am asked a question about a patient I will be very careful with the wording of my response when the patient is able to hear.