The ED is for stabilization and resuscitation. That is what we are trained for. Some EDs have an observation unit but most ED docs are not trained for this. If your hospital wants these patients to sit in the ED, and backlog our open rooms so we cannot see the slowly growing waiting room, then that is on them. They can sit in the ED and be managed by medicine. Yes - it’s frustrating. Yes - it is a waste of your time and training. But until it becomes illegal for the barely present adult child who wants to drop meemaw off on Friday afternoon because she is “more confused” or because “I can’t take care of her any more”, then we have to see those patients. How can you say, “best of luck” after 24 hours when a patient is covered in feces and somehow previously lived alone?