Hospital takes legal action on ‘bed-blocker’

A Dublin hospital has taken legal action against an elderly patient who has occupied a bed for nearly four years and “refuses” to leave. The elderly woman has been ready for discharge from St James’s Hospital in Dublin since May 2010. The hospital wanted to transfer the woman to a nursing home. The hospital says the patient “refused” to apply for the State’s Fair Deal scheme, which provides financial support to people who need long-term nursing home care. Her family also allegedly “refused to pursue the patient’s options” under the scheme. (Independent) >