Getting to the hospital if you live alone and are too sick to drive
March 27, 2020 10:20 PM Subscribe
I'm trying to figure out a plan for a friend who lives alone in case she gets too sick to take care of herself. Specifically, how does she get to the hospital, assuming ambulances might not be available?
She has people in her town who can help her with food, can call the doctor for her etc. But she isn't comfortable asking someone to drive her to the hospital if she's too sick to drive herself. Someone could arrange a car for her, but that just pushes the risk of contracting coronavirus onto the driver.
Any ideas?
She has people in her town who can help her with food, can call the doctor for her etc. But she isn't comfortable asking someone to drive her to the hospital if she's too sick to drive herself. Someone could arrange a car for her, but that just pushes the risk of contracting coronavirus onto the driver.
Any ideas?
Where does she live?
One way or another, there would need to be a driver.
posted by NotLost at 11:45 PM on March 27, 2020
One way or another, there would need to be a driver.
posted by NotLost at 11:45 PM on March 27, 2020
this is just an idea - someone else should feel free to point out why it's wrong if it is.Maybe, in case all actual medical transport is unavailable, see in advance if there is a limo company with a car that has a divider between passenger and driver seats, and talk to them in advance about sending that car for your friend, and making sure the divider is shut, if she calls. Of course your friend has to wear a mask as well.
posted by nantucket at 1:52 AM on March 28, 2020
posted by nantucket at 1:52 AM on March 28, 2020
I honestly think if you believe that ambulance capacity will be overwhelmed in your area, then she needs to head to the hospital on her own when she is symptomatic but before things get bad . Obviously the just in case plans should be there, but the initial plan should be to go sooner.
Ambulance services won't stop, but there may be long wait times. So the sooner she decides to go, she needs to call and wait. It is possible that there may be plans to send out different first responders to her location and then send an ambulance to the scene later on depending on your city's planning and resources.
posted by AlexiaSky at 2:35 AM on March 28, 2020 [6 favorites]
Ambulance services won't stop, but there may be long wait times. So the sooner she decides to go, she needs to call and wait. It is possible that there may be plans to send out different first responders to her location and then send an ambulance to the scene later on depending on your city's planning and resources.
posted by AlexiaSky at 2:35 AM on March 28, 2020 [6 favorites]
I honestly think if you believe that ambulance capacity will be overwhelmed in your area, then she needs to head to the hospital on her own when she is symptomatic but before things get bad .
Um, it may not be Covid-19 that would cause her to seek medical help. A friend mentioned that a friend of hers recently (as in early this week) had to go in with acute appendicitis. Which went from a bit of pain in the abdomen to total AAAARGH in just a few hours, but by then she was already in hospital and being carted into an operation room. Big city, hospital close by. Driving there yourself after you've concluded that you do need to go to a hospital and it's still an hour's drive or more? Bad idea.
posted by Stoneshop at 4:24 AM on March 28, 2020
Um, it may not be Covid-19 that would cause her to seek medical help. A friend mentioned that a friend of hers recently (as in early this week) had to go in with acute appendicitis. Which went from a bit of pain in the abdomen to total AAAARGH in just a few hours, but by then she was already in hospital and being carted into an operation room. Big city, hospital close by. Driving there yourself after you've concluded that you do need to go to a hospital and it's still an hour's drive or more? Bad idea.
posted by Stoneshop at 4:24 AM on March 28, 2020
Is this in the US? An ER doctor told me that with coronavirus, people should not go to the hospital unless they have difficulty breathing (apart from coughing fits). They will be sent home with a big bill.
Failing ambulances, an area church or someone might have a transport van that she could sit at the very back of? The driver could crack the windows and she could cover her mouth with a towel. Van could be disinfected after.
posted by zennie at 4:39 AM on March 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Failing ambulances, an area church or someone might have a transport van that she could sit at the very back of? The driver could crack the windows and she could cover her mouth with a towel. Van could be disinfected after.
posted by zennie at 4:39 AM on March 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Research the social groups in her area that are gearing up to provide support to her community. People are organizing to deliver food to shut ins and the like. If anyone knows what resources are available it would be them. Try to figure out what those groups are. You can search your own area first to find that kind of group so you know where they are meeting and connecting on line, such as if fb is the right place to look for them or if twitter or somewhere else will have hashtags to lead you to her local people.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:45 AM on March 28, 2020
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:45 AM on March 28, 2020
Um, it may not be Covid-19 that would cause her to seek medical help
In that case contagion is not an issue and a whole raft of options open up.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:21 AM on March 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
In that case contagion is not an issue and a whole raft of options open up.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:21 AM on March 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
In that case contagion is not an issue
Oh really? You, or your driver, may be infected but not having symptoms yet.
You don't want to get it if you are still uninfected, and you don't want to spread it if you are.
posted by Stoneshop at 6:26 AM on March 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
Oh really? You, or your driver, may be infected but not having symptoms yet.
You don't want to get it if you are still uninfected, and you don't want to spread it if you are.
posted by Stoneshop at 6:26 AM on March 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
Call the emergency squad in your area. They will be thinking about this and planning. All the other options involve potentially exposing and bring exposed to contagion. Emergency workers should be prepared. If I were worried about this, I'd keep a small bag packed with essentials.
posted by theora55 at 7:15 AM on March 28, 2020
posted by theora55 at 7:15 AM on March 28, 2020
I honestly think if you believe that ambulance capacity will be overwhelmed in your area, then she needs to head to the hospital on her own when she is symptomatic but before things get bad
Seconding that if this is in the U.S., this is exactly what hospitals *do not* want people to do. There isn't enough capacity. If it's at a point where ambulances are overwhelmed, the hospital will be, too. I agree that it isn't a good idea to risk exposing a volunteer driver or a rideshare driver. If there's a neighborhood emergency squad as mentioned above, that might be a good option. Otherwise, 911 and wait.
posted by pinochiette at 7:54 AM on March 28, 2020 [5 favorites]
Seconding that if this is in the U.S., this is exactly what hospitals *do not* want people to do. There isn't enough capacity. If it's at a point where ambulances are overwhelmed, the hospital will be, too. I agree that it isn't a good idea to risk exposing a volunteer driver or a rideshare driver. If there's a neighborhood emergency squad as mentioned above, that might be a good option. Otherwise, 911 and wait.
posted by pinochiette at 7:54 AM on March 28, 2020 [5 favorites]
Do you know anyone who has a pick-up truck with a canopy or camper on the back? They could pick her up and she could ride in the back.
posted by SageTrail at 8:01 AM on March 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by SageTrail at 8:01 AM on March 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
You don't say if your friend has some special health condition or is very elderly etc, something that distinguishes her from the millions of other people who live alone. Normal advice would be, as others have said, call 911 and wait.
If she's in ordinary good health and not in a vulnerable group and she's simply extremely nervous about ambulance services, maybe she's suffering some kind of anxiety, and you should approach the problem from that direction.
posted by bright flowers at 11:59 AM on March 28, 2020
If she's in ordinary good health and not in a vulnerable group and she's simply extremely nervous about ambulance services, maybe she's suffering some kind of anxiety, and you should approach the problem from that direction.
posted by bright flowers at 11:59 AM on March 28, 2020
Response by poster: To the people recommending simply calling 911 - my assumption is that we might get into a state in which emergency services are overloaded, and it's worth planning for ambulances not being available.
However, maybe that's wrong and your advice is correct - maybe the best evidence we have from Italy/Seattle/New York is that ambulances will continue to be available. Would be interested if anyone knows.
posted by lbergstr at 12:14 PM on March 28, 2020
However, maybe that's wrong and your advice is correct - maybe the best evidence we have from Italy/Seattle/New York is that ambulances will continue to be available. Would be interested if anyone knows.
posted by lbergstr at 12:14 PM on March 28, 2020
I don’t have any hard numbers to share, but I’ve never encountered a healthcare situation in the US where transport was the bottleneck in emergency care.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 12:45 PM on March 28, 2020
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 12:45 PM on March 28, 2020
I would have them call their Consulting Nurse/Dial-A-Nurse to triage the issue. They can also help steer treatment: whether it's stay at home, arrange a televisit with a doctor, get to an Urgent Care, or yes - you need an ambulance.
I've had these nurses help me schedule appropriate care, and I find that they are able to cut through the bureaucracy to get that appointment, etc. better than I could. If appropriate, they may be able to call the ambulance for this person.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:41 PM on March 28, 2020
I've had these nurses help me schedule appropriate care, and I find that they are able to cut through the bureaucracy to get that appointment, etc. better than I could. If appropriate, they may be able to call the ambulance for this person.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:41 PM on March 28, 2020
To the people recommending simply calling 911 - my assumption is that we might get into a state in which emergency services are overloaded, and it's worth planning for ambulances not being available.
If things have reached that point it seems likely that law-enforcement (police, sheriff, etc.) will have been drafted as makeshift ambulances as well. If they’ve run out of those then I suspect that going to the hospital would be pointless anyway.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:00 AM on March 29, 2020 [2 favorites]
If things have reached that point it seems likely that law-enforcement (police, sheriff, etc.) will have been drafted as makeshift ambulances as well. If they’ve run out of those then I suspect that going to the hospital would be pointless anyway.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:00 AM on March 29, 2020 [2 favorites]
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posted by katra at 10:44 PM on March 27, 2020