(This article appeared previously in Kaiser Health News.) When Stacey Richter’s husband recently landed in a New Jersey emergency room, fearing a heart attack, she had an additional reason for alarm: a potential big bill from the hospital if the ER was… Continue reading
When Celeste Jordan, 70, was admitted to a New York hospital for removal of a parathyroid gland (tiny glands in the neck), her daughter, Jasmine Pearlman, was by her side. The parathyroidectomy treated only one of Jordan’s many medical conditions, and … Continue reading
Recently, an 88-year-old member of my family underwent elective spinal surgery for disabling back pain. While the duration of hospitalization for anyone after surgery can be unpredictable, we were surprised to find out our family member would be discha… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This story is part of a series for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) In her work as the chief nursing officer for Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Md., Barbara Jacobs recently found herself dodging all of the patients walking d… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This story is part of a series for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) As many as half of hospital patients age 65 and older develop delirium. Once thought of as something ordinary — something that “just happens” to people as they get old… Continue reading