Story thread · 3 reports / 3 sources

Medical guardian shortage contributing to hospital patient bottlenecks

wbur.org · 14h · first reportShare

Patients who aren't able to make medical decisions for themselves and lack a guardian can't be discharged from a hospital until a court appoints one — creating a complicated, lengthy logjam that can prevent others from accessing hospital beds. A new report finds the state is relying on a limited and shrinking pool of guardians.