Are you birthing a child, or visiting patients that are on admission? Some hospital visits are for happy moments while others require medical attention to life-threatening issues. The hospital is often seen as an unpleasant environment to stay during ill health. Most patients look forward to taking treatment at home or leaving immediately they feel better.
Unfortunately, health issues determine the duration and place of treatment. Usually, accident and scary emergency medical situations might trigger in-patient admissions. Post-surgery patients might need a couple of weeks to stabilise before they’re discharged. In managing the time spent on medical admission, it’s necessary to equip your bag with essentials needed for a comfortable hospital stay. You can also help to make your friends and relative enjoy their medical admission.
Bring Your Toiletries
Hospital toiletries are worse than what you find in hotel rooms. Usually, personal care products from hospitals are cheap supplies. Get your favourite toiletries if you can’t stay without using premium brands. You might not find high-quality soaps, toilet papers, lotion or shampoos in the hospital.
Schedule Appointments
Spending a few hours with friends or family at the hospital might need you to book appointments. The alert of a scheduled visit allows patients to get dressed and prepare beforehand. It will not be convenient to bump into an untidy hospital room while cleaning is on-going. Calling ahead before visiting the admitted patient can give nurses some time to make your stay comfortable.
Don’t Ask When In Doubt
Ask the hospital management if long-term parking of vehicles for patients on admission is allowed. Don’t be afraid to inquire about feeding and cleaning services in the hospital. There might need to find out if the patient is allergic to ingredients in foods offered or disinfectants used for cleaning. More so, the room temperature might not support better sleep, know how to regulate the temperature without needing to call the nurse every time. Usually, private wards with single patients are fitted with alarm bells. Don’t fail to draw the nurse’s attention promptly where there are complaints to be resolved. During your visit, try to help your loved by asking the nurse’s station to crucial questions about their health improvement.
Bring a Touch of Home
Staying in a hospital for a few weeks might make you homesick. Bring a touch of home to support your comfort level. Homegrown flowers, throw pillows, water bottles, or photo of your family can make your hospital room seem more convenient. When visiting someone who is on admission, consider bringing flowers, crossword puzzles, homemade cakes, drinks cookies, and local magazines. A touch of home item relieves patients from hospital boredom.
Make a checklist
It’s easy to skip essential items when storing hospital bags before an admission. So use the hospital checklist to pack all you might need. Usually, the maternity gives women a list of items to bring along when they get early signs of labour. Caring for an unborn baby requires planned steps towards successful delivery. Breast pads, changing clothes, a baby bag with newborn supplies, car seats, and grooming set, feeding formula, socks, clothes, and underwear are some post-delivery items. Soaps, cash cards, phone charger, special needs items (denture cream, hearing aid, tampons, or sanitary pads), toothbrush, comb, and sleeping robes are essential for patients in shared hospital rooms.
Be Nice to Medical Workers
Nurses and medical workers appear friendlier in the hospital than outside duties. These professionals are humans; they get tired and have mood swings like everyone. It’s natural for them to feel exhausted after working for long hours – attending to the need of patients. When you come in contact with them, ask about their welfare, encourage them with smiling faces and talk to them kindly. They can reciprocate the gesture by attending to you passionately.
Conducive environments with happy workers are contagious, and you can gain high levels of comfort by sharing a smile.
