Where is he?

[Glowpun]

Hello there,

This situation has become odd.

On 1-17-13 I went to the facility where my friend with dementia lives. I was told by staff that he was sent to the hospital early that morning but they could not tell me which hospital he was sent to. I went to the hospital where he would have been sent. At first they said they had no patient by that name there. But then they said that person was brought in for lab work and would be admitted they next day 7/18. An hour later I called again and was told he was a patient but that he was in a "confidential unit" which really makes no sense. Could it have been the psychiatric unit?

On 1-18-13 I called the psychiatric unit and was told no person by that name was admitted. And they also said the other units had no person by that name. I spoke with the head nurse at the facility where he lived and was told that they themselves had called his conservator but received no responses. I also called the conservator and also did not receive a response. This is weird because in the past when it was necessary for me to contact them they would respond timely.

As of 1-19-13 it appears no one knows where my friend is--nothing from the conservator. I spoke with my friend's cousin who also said that the conservator had not contacted him and which may be good news in this case. He being a family member would be the only person the conservator could communicate with. Although I am a close friend I have no legal standing and so can't be told anything. How can I go about knowing where my friend is short of hiring a detective to find him?

 

[Fisher]

In my state, a hospital can tell you if someone is a patient unless they have put a block on their information. You could try to be devious and call the nursing home and say "I wanted to send X some flowers but I didn't know if he is back or if he is still in Hospital Y" as if you know he is in hospital Y to see if the receptionist will bite and assume you are authorized to know since you know he was going to Hospital Y. In the alternate I would call hospital Y and say I "want to send X some flowers but wanted to make sure he could have them in his unit before I placed the order" or asked to be connected to his room and maybe they will tell you something additional that would verify he was at that hospital.

I would assume he is in the psychiatric or Behavioral Health Unit.

 

[Glowpun]

In my state, a hospital can tell you if someone is a patient unless they have put a block on their information. You could try to be devious and call the nursing home and say "I wanted to send X some flowers but I didn't know if he is back or if he is still in Hospital Y" as if you know he is in hospital Y to see if the receptionist will bite and assume you are authorized to know since you know he was going to Hospital Y. In the alternate I would call hospital Y and say I "want to send X some flowers but wanted to make sure he could have them in his unit before I placed the order" or asked to be connected to his room and maybe they will tell you something additional that would verify he was at that hospital.

I would assume he is in the psychiatric or Behavioral Health Unit.

Great idea! Seems like one does have to be devious in certain situations. I wonder why the conservator does not want the patient to have visitors. I hope it works.