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Need a ride after outpatient colonosopy

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Generally you will not be allowed to do this procedure without someone to accompany you home. You can speak to the provider if that is not possible. Hospitals will typically give vouchers for taxis and etc in cases of ER visits, but when an anesthesia is used as for colonoscopy they will insist someone can accompany you home. Speak with them about possible options, such as a longer stay for recovery.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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cover9339 Sep 17, 2024
You mean see if the OP could stay overnight in the hospital.
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There was a New York Times article about this, link below. The end had a number of resources, most of which are only in certain parts of the country, but perhaps one of them will suit you. Article may be behind a paywall but I think they have a certain number of free articles.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/25/health/medical-escorts-seniors.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb&ngrp=mnp&pvid=2895BF2D-D2C4-4CBD-B39F-ED01F1D23ACB

(You could also do the colonoscopy without sedation, which I have done and will do again, but that’s not for everyone. And they may still insist).
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Reply to Rumbletown
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This is tricky.
Some hospitals or sites where they do colonoscopies will not let you take a cab, Uber, Lyft or other car share because the driver is not going to be with you while you are recovering from the anesthesia and add to that a person that is not in a great frame of mind might be taken advantage of.
I find this very inconvenient as I have no lone to drive me home after a procedure unless I rely on a friend. (hate to put people in that position)
Plus the people at the hospital of facility where the procedure was done like to give "after the fact information" and that would also mean giving confidential medical information to a stranger.
You can check with your local Senior Center. They may have a Volunteer program that will drive people to medical appointments. The difference with this VS the ride share is that usually the Senior Centers will do a background check on Volunteers.
Or if you belong to a Church or other religious group they may have volunteers as well.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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Someone needs to stay with you. Call around to your local care services. There are caregivers that provide driving. Unless you have 24 careers for 1 day, your GI specialist might defer you until you have this libed up
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Reply to MACinCT
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I just took an Uber home. The paperwork they gave me beforehand said that they wouldn't allow for a ridesharing service unless the driver came with me to check in to the procedure and stay all the way though until it was time to drive me home. But when I questioned them about that, they said it was no longer like that and I could just call a ridesharing service when I was done. In the end, one of the nurse's even offered to help me get an Uber but I told her I was fine doing it on my own. So check with your hospital. Not just the website but actually call the people that will be doing your colonoscopy. What they allow will dictate what you can do.

As for the anesthesia itself. It was the first and only time I have ever had anesthesia. I read all these reports online about how hard it is to recover from it. For me, it was like someone turned me off and then turned me back on. I wasn't even groggy when I woke back up. I was perfectly fine. Once I got home, I just continued on with my day like it was any other day. After getting something to eat of course.
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Reply to needtowashhair
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cover9339 Sep 17, 2024
Lol what hospital is this?

The one I go to says someone has to be with the patient before and after the procedure or it will be cancelled and rescheduled. They also mention, no ride sharing, or Lyft, Uber etc are allowed.
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See if Redcross has volunteers. If you belong to a Church see if they have volunteers.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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Is the hospital you're having the procedure at not require someone to be with you, before, and after?
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Reply to cover9339
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When I asked the staff what the options were, they gave me the name of a medical transport company.

The charge for two way transport was $150.

A caregiver from a service like visiting angels would not have been acceptable.
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