"Follow-up care of an elderly patient."

An elderly person goes into your establishment for a hip replacement.  Due to a blood disorder, straight after, the patient looks like they have gone 12 rounds with Danny Green.  Less than 72 hours post operative and because the patient is too sore and having trouble ambulating -  (better pain management relief could possibly have avoided this situation) - with no discussion at all the patient was told that they were going to rehab. miles and miles away from their home and family. Yet there are 5 Rehab Centres a lot closer to this person's home. The patient could have just as easily and would have preferred to have been sent to one of them, if you insisted on transferring them.

Firstly, the patient was told that they would be in the Epworth for 5-7 Days.  The patient has top level private health insurance.  Barely 72 hours and it seemed you were booting them out the door!  In my opinion, your patient care and any hip replacement care pathways you may have in place appear to be short sighted, lacking in any real patient care, disgusting and seemingly totally money driven. I believe they are certainly not patient physically or psychologically focused.

I feel that there was not one nurse or physio. there that was a genuine patient advocate for this patient, telling the surgeon that the patient needed more time and pain relief. The patient's very elderly spouse is now driving miles and miles in unfamiliar areas, away from home to see their life partner, it would appear, because of your lack of care, unprofessionalism, and money driven ethics.  No consultation with the patient, asking what they want, just telling them what you are doing.  No consultation with their spouse or family.  

How many total hip replacements are well enough to be discharged in less than 72 hours exactly?  Don't keep them for the 5-7 days you told them they would be admitted for and then reassess them. Other private and public hospitals can have patients for weeks on end when there's a problem post operation. 

The surgeon who operated and allowed the patient to be discharged in what I believe is a pathetic time frame and every nurse, physio, person who had anything to do with this patient's care, I feel should be ashamed of themselves and need to do further Personal / Professional Development post haste to learn what is acceptable patient care. Plus, also how to be a patient advocate.