The shorter one’s stay in a hospital the better for both the patient and the medical staff. Being discharged sooner means a faster recovery at home in familiar surroundings and a lower hospital bill, while making room for other patients to be treated.

There are patients, however, who may need to stay longer for medical reasons, but a patient at the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (TMH) in Florida, USA overstayed her welcome after she was initially given acute care. She refused to vacate Room 373 despite having been discharged on 6 October last year.