When Your John Doe Is Homeless

The patient, known only as John Doe, was difficult to see under the hodgepodge of tubing, the quiet clicking of the ventilator the room's only sound.

From all appearances he was homeless, but in the opinion of his nurse, who has had vast experience in dealing with patients just like him, everyone has a mother or a father, a son or a daughter, and homeless or not, it's a nurse's responsibility to do what he can to help find them. Usually it's just a matter of taking that extra few minutes to connect the dots. "Homeless people are very savvy and self-sufficient when it comes to survival skills," he explains. "They write important phone numbers on the insides of a hat, put them in their shoes, or sew numbers inside the seams of their coats. I go through every stitch of clothing."

If that doesn't turn up any emergency contact numbers or personal information, he examines the patient's body for needle tracks, scars or tattoos and if necessary, sends fingerprints to the police for a background check.

Sometimes the police's theory is that the homeless person had a desire to be a loner, and they see no need to reconnect them with their family after they are injured or dead. But the nurse is quick to disagree.

"Things change, [and] these people are still human beings. I believe that every homeless person is still a father or mother, [or a] son or daughter to somebody out there. These people may have done things they are not proud of, they may have mental illness, but their family has a right to know what happened to them."

From a hospital's perspective, a patient without an identity is a patient without funding. But once a nurse or a social worker positively IDs a patient as a US citizen, the hospital can help the patient apply for Medicaid and then get reimbursement for the bill.

"Identifying people is a reasonable endeavor. It is part of a holistic approach. When you locate family, you find a surrogate to speak on behalf of the patient, to be an advocate. The family should decide on the patient's follow-up and if the patient has died, the family should decide where they are buried."

For tools you and your staff can use to identify John Does download a free copy of the Seven Steps to Successful Notification System, in PDF format, at the Next of Kin Education Project web site. Along with the Information Kit, you'll find patient chart pages and notification worksheets using the Seven Steps, that you can purchase and customize to use as part of your own charting system. You'll find them on the NOKEP web site along with reminder products like mouse pads, posters and coffee mugs, to keep the Seven Steps at your staff's fingertips.

Laura Greenwald, CEO/The Next of Kin Education Project nokepinfokit@juno.com

The Seven Steps Information Kit can be downloaded free of charge at http://clik.to/7steps The Reminder Products can be purchased at our NOKEP store http://www.cafeshops.com/7steps

---

Five Secrets of High Blood Pressure Treatment

Thirty percent of human population has a high blood pressure... Read More

Pain Relief Drugs 101 What You Need to Know

Ever given a piece of thought to how actually one... Read More

Heel Pain - Ten Tips for Treatment

The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis... Read More

Viagra Users - Overcome NAION Fear

NAION is the latest side effect linked to Viagra and... Read More

The Cox-2 Prescription Painkillers Are Back?

This past week, the FDA held a meeting in order... Read More

Generic Drug: Its Pros and Cons

A generic drug can be defined as an identical, or... Read More

Integrative Medicine And Its Future

The NBC National News, quoted the Washington Post in March... Read More

Celebrex Side Effects Lawsuit Lawyer

The Food and Drug administration urges people to stop taking... Read More

Melatonin, Sleep Enhancement, and ADHD

Overview Melatonin is a natural hormone, which is produced and... Read More

Health Needs of Survivors of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is not over when the victim is safe... Read More

Whats a Good Arthritis Medicine for Me, Doctor?

Pain is the body's warning signal that something is wrong.... Read More

Natural Vitamin E Combined with Vitamin C for Treatment of Alzheimers Disease

Checklist of Treatments for Alzheimer's DiseasePart 2 of 82. Vitamin... Read More

Flatfeet in Children: When Are They A Problem?

There are high arch feet and low arch feet and... Read More

Chronic Headaches and Pain Often Can Be Eliminated By A Special Dentist

DENVER ? Sometimes as Freud once said a good cigar... Read More

Lamictal Rash Lawyer

Lamictal, or lamotrigine, is an anti-seizure medication that has been... Read More

Three Questions People Are Asking About Health Care in America

Q. Why is there so may uninsured people in America?A.... Read More

Anxiety Management With Prescription BuSpar: Don?t Worry, Be Happy

We've all had one of those weeks: the washing machine... Read More

Quitting Smoking: Planning To Succeed With Zyban!

Step One: The Big DecisionOne of the most frustrating things... Read More

Orthotics and Your Feet

Orthotics are devices which fit into the shoe to aid... Read More

Every Pharmaceutical Drug LEECHES Nutrients From Your Body

Are you currently on one or more pharmaceutical drugs? Perhaps... Read More

Nasonex And You: Breathe Easy, Not Sneezy

While everybody else is wandering around enjoying the spring weather,... Read More

Finally...Affordable Prescription Medication without Insurance.

If you are like many Americans, you are without health... Read More

Buy Lunesta Cheap By Comparing Prescription Prices Online

We all know that there's no such thing as cheap... Read More

Adaptogens for Life - The Science Behind the Discovery of Adaptogens

Modern civilization has produced an unusually stressful environment to humans... Read More

After Viagra, Its Now a Premature Orgasm Pill for Women

Pfizer's exciting drug history traces back to the most popular... Read More

Ulcers Are No Laughing Matter

Peptic ulcers, which are in the stomach and the duodenum... Read More

Root Canal Therapy: Frequently Asked Questions

OverviewA diseased or injured nerve use to mean that you... Read More

The Highway to Health - Bumped Heads

I recently had a reader send me this comment:"As a... Read More

Phentermine Price Watch: Comparison Shop To Buy Phentermine At The Best Values Online

When compared with the other prescription diet pills, Phentermine is... Read More

Bextra and Vioxx Withdrawal Spawn Advertising Pause from Bristol Myers

Pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb has announced that they will... Read More

How to Make Changes in Your Healthcare Organization

For many of us change is a difficult process. In... Read More

Accutane Side Effects Lawyer: Hair Loss, Depression, Suicide

You probably know the drug isotretinoin by its trade name,... Read More

Medical Billing Software Takes the Stage

Medical Billing SoftwareThe practice is running smoothly, with patients coming... Read More