Replies

Unless there was a Court Order, the Hospital can not refuse to allow her to leave.

That might have been said to fan some flames but it isn’t true.

Whereas I completely agree in the technical correctness of your statement "the Hospital can not refuse to allow her to leave", if you've had any personal negative experience with hospitals then you know about slow-rolling release forms, visits from administrators, confrontational doctors and nurses, and rushes toward procedures that impair the ability for the patient to make decisions for themselves. Sometimes you literally have to say "bring me the release forms to sign now, or I'm walking out without them" and it can get testy. Because the hospital won't remind you at the time that you have that authority, it is tantamount to being held against your will. Those who have been through it understand what I'm saying. When the hospital wants it to be easy, it's easy. When they don't it isn't. If you don't have a medical power of attorney established for yourself and your loved ones for when one of you is incapacitated and needs a legal proxy -- I would get one established now to assign an advocate you trust. It's just good insurance.