Deliberate patient suck

[skeptic53]

Our clinic has an urgent care that is open 9-4 on weekends. Our practice is in a rainy climate, this weekend has been sunny and warm and it therefore has been very slow in the afternoons as people take advantage of the rare good weather. Those of us working are also eager to get off work and go outside. Both yesterday and today, the last patient of the day has checked in less than 5 minutes before closing with a problem that has been going on for more than 3 days. Yesterday it was a person who lied about how they injured their hand, the x-ray made it clear they had punched somebody or something and needed surgery. Today it was an elderly person with fever, nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain for 3 days brought in by their adult child who brightly said "Well, you ALMOST got out of here at 4:00!!" They came by yesterday an hour after we closed, noted the hours of operation, and came back today just before we close. Myself and 6 staff had to stay another 45 minutes waiting for labs etc. I never mind staying if we are busy and running late, or if someone is dashing to get here with an acute illness or injury, but people who 1. know our hours and 2. have had a problem for days and 3. DELIBERATELY wait until moments before closing drive me nucking futs.

[XCashier]

Today it was an elderly person with fever, nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain for 3 days brought in by their adult child who brightly said "Well, you ALMOST got out of here at 4:00!!" They came by yesterday an hour after we closed, noted the hours of operation, and came back today just before we close.

So, he let his elderly relative SUFFER for THREE DAYS just so he could get his giggles by inconveniencing you at the last minute?! That's cruel, mean, possibly sociopathic. I wonder if a call to social services isn't warranted.

Why did he not bring the patient in when you opened the next morning, or anytime during the day when he noted your hours? Or hell, take the patient to the ER?!

I have no patience or sympathy for those who are willfully inconsiderate of others.

[Sapphire Silk]

So, he let his elderly relative SUFFER for THREE DAYS just so he could get his giggles by inconveniencing you at the last minute?!

I don't think that's what happened. I think it was a SC idea of a joke.

Only it's not funny.

[skeptic53]

I think the patient was hard to persuade to leave home before late afternoon. The patient ended up in ER anyway as they were too dehydrated for us to draw blood, needed an IV, needed STAT labs that we can't do. The offspring wanted me to guarantee they would not have to wait at the ER, I told them I would call and give the ER a head's up but I had no control over their triage. What got me was the snarky joke that was, indeed, not funny at all.

[Pixilated]

So, he let his elderly relative SUFFER for THREE DAYS just so he could get his giggles by inconveniencing you at the last minute?! That's cruel, mean, possibly sociopathic. I wonder if a call to social services isn't warranted.

Why did he not bring the patient in when you opened the next morning, or anytime during the day when he noted your hours? Or hell, take the patient to the ER?!

I have no patience or sympathy for those who are willfully inconsiderate of others.

The elderly person might have spent the previous two days and most of the third flatly refusing to come to the clinic. However, in that case, I would have profoundly apologized to the clinic staff and explained what had happened, not made a lame joke about how they almost got out at 4 p.m. ....

Or, as you suggest, given how late in the day it was by the time they agreed to be seen, I would've stuffed the elderly person into the car and driven to the nearest ER.

[XCashier]

I think the patient was hard to persuade to leave home before late afternoon. The patient ended up in ER anyway as they were too dehydrated for us to draw blood, needed an IV, needed STAT labs that we can't do.

Okay, that makes sense. I was thinking it was a deliberate case of elder abuse. I misread it.

And that "joke" was still stupid and unfunny, I agree.

[Teskeria]

Today it was an elderly person with fever, nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain for 3 days brought in by their adult child who brightly said "Well, you ALMOST got out of here at 4:00!!"

"Don't worry about it. We're used to inconsiderate jerks." pause then look innocently at them 'NOT that I'm IMPLYING YOU are a jerk naturally'

[Grendus]

Adult child may be working. 4:00 may have been as early as he/she could get elderly relative to the clinic. If he/she is already living paycheck to paycheck taking a day off to drop his/her relative off earlier may not have been possible, especially now that they have medical bills about to start. Still sucky, but plausibly not vile, just kind of a stupid joke.