General
sofa surfer
What does sofa surfer mean?
A patient with no permanent home who sleeps on others' sofas; relevant to discharge planning.
"Discharge is tricky — he's a sofa surfer with no fixed address."
Origin
General homelessness slang used in hospital social contexts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 'sofa surfer'?
Someone with no permanent home who sleeps on other people's sofas from place to place. In hospitals it flags a patient with no fixed address, complicating discharge.
Is 'sofa surfer' offensive?
It is fairly neutral, everyday slang for a form of hidden homelessness, not a slur.
Why does it matter in a hospital?
A sofa surfer has no stable home to be discharged to, so discharge and social-care planning become more difficult.
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