Things to pack and do for Hospital Stays
Over the years and many hospital visits I have made a list of things that can make hospital stay easier and more pleasant, and thought I would share them with those on this site, for those about to g...
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- Organise with who ever will be visiting you most (husband, girlfriend, parent, adult child etc etc) for them to call you before comeing in to see if there is anything you need. It is cheaper for them to buy things outside of the hospital and bring it in than it is to buy it in the hospital, or things that are not availabel in hospitals (like clean PJ's, take away food for dinner (becasue nothing on the menu for tonight sounded good, or you are sick of the food, or feel like a change etc). try to organise for someone to take your dirty PJ's etc home for you each day (or couple of days) - especially if it is an extended stay and to wash it all and either bring it back into you (if you will need it) or to drop it off at your home, so you don't have mountains of washing when you get home.
- Take along any documents you need the Doctors etc to sign. or a list of documents you need to get before leaving the hospital. Things like sick certificates for work, applications for sickness benefits etc for centrelink (if applying and you haven't already) etc.
- Take along and add to the list questions you have for your medical team (Doctors, surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists etc).
- Make use of there services they have available while you are an inpatient and to help you when you get home. Things like the - social workers who can help with things when you get home, even if you have someone at home to help and especially if you are single, for once you get home alone (they will not usually allow you to go home alone for the first few days after discharge), things like Meals on wheels (you most likely won't feel like cooking, or be up to it), Home help services (cooking, cleaning, mowing lawns etc),community nursing (drain care, wound care, administration of medications (like injections etc) and other nursing services), Counselling, Mental Health services etc etc etc. Or the Physiotherapists - who can help with lymphoedema exercises, massage for lymphoedema, cording etc. Occupational Therapists - incase you need any equipment to make your return home safe (after my mastectomy and immediate implant reconstruction (due to my pre-existing conditions which were flared up by the surgery and made my recovery from the surgery difficult and unusual) I was not allowed to go home (after my 14 day stay) without a toilet frame to make going to the loo easier, and an electical hospital bed (which I still sleep in in my loungeroom 3 months after my surgery), and an overbed table to make eating etc easier in bed - this was all organised by the hospitals occupational therapist, before they would let me leave (I couldn't get out of bed without assistance for more than 6 weeks after my surgery due to severe muscle spasms and the fact that my other arm is next to useless and the one on the mastectomy side was crap to begin with)).
- If you have allergies to thinygs ike latex, scents, cleaning products, detergents (like washing detergent) etc, make sure you tell them in advance (if it is a planned admission), and check your room before settling in, and if you need to ask them to strip the linens, or change the gloves, put up signs saying something like - Warning - this patient is allergic to ... (latex, perfumes, scents, chemicals, etc). Please remove any offending products (and wash off offending scents), BEFORE entering this room. Make sure it is placed on the door to your room, or somewhere where it can be sen before people enter your room. If it is a latex allergy then ake sure thye change over ALL gloves in your room, bathroom and just outside your room, with NON latex gloves in ALL sizes. And make sure there is another sign over your bed again warning of this allergy. If they don't do it, put it upyourself, this is YOUR health you are protecting. If yu have an allergy to cleaning products (or multiple chemical sensitivity etc) then make sure you contact the cleaning staff before hand as well, to let them know so that your room can be cleaned with appropriate products before and during your stay (if they cannot access appropriate products, then it is probably a good idea to bring in what you use at home). Also writing a letter to the hospital, ward, cleaning staff, kitchen staff etc and telling them in writing of your issues, admissino date, ward you will be on and if you know it room and bed number in advance to make sure as much as can be done is done before your admission.