Meaning of bed blocker | Babel Free

Definitions

An elderly hospitalized person who is too infirm to return home but not sufficiently ill to necessitate continued hospitalization, creating a situation in which his or her hospital stay is prolonged while authorities or relatives search for a suitable placement amid the scarce resources of nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.

UK, derogatory, idiomatic

Examples

“A 72-year-old "bed blocker" was yesterday ordered to vacate the hospital bed he has refused to leave for three years, despite being in good health.”

“There will also be a fee charged to a "bed blocker"—someone fit for discharge from an acute hospital but reluctant to go until a nursing home place is provided.”

“Dimitra was slapped with a hospital bill worth $18,238, for taking up an acute car bed for too long. . . . "Maria's mother was desperately ill and needed hospital care and she was treated like a bed blocker."”

CEFR level