Surviving Being Admitted To The Hospital Part 2

No one looks forward to a loved one ( or yourself ) being admitted to the hospital, however, sometimes it is a necessary procedure and cannot be avoided. Here are some of our helpful tips to survive the hospital visit or stay.

You Are A Visitor

If you are planning to visit someone who is in the hospital, please keep these things in mind:

If the person you are visiting has had surgery, then it is likely s/he will be sleeping most of the day for a day or so. Respect the patient’s need for rest. Make your visit short. If it is obvious that the time you’ve chosen to visit isn’t the best time for the patient, then leave.
Please remember that the person you are visiting may have a roommate and that roommate might not be doing as well as the person you are visiting. Please talk quietly. Don’t overcrowd the room with people.

If several family members and friends are likely to be visiting, then try to coordinate your visiting times so that the patient has plenty of steady company and never gets overwhelmed with the number of people in the room. If it is easier for several family members to go to the hospital at the same time, then find a sitting area outside of the hospital room and take turns visiting.

Balloons, flowers, and Get Well cards are very nice—but be mindful that you don’t “fill up the room” and make it difficult for the nurses and doctors to walk around. Remember that the patient may have several IVs and monitors hooked up, which means there will be all kinds of things hanging on poles.

The best Get Well gift is your time and your smile! Save all the presents, cards, and flowers for when the person is able to go home. If the person you are visiting is not doing well, then you might think about taking an interesting book and just sitting there, by the bedside. Often people who aren’t feeling well or are having a difficult time while in the hospital will find it easier to rest or sleep just knowing a loved one is there.

Be considerate of the patient’s need for rest and quiet (which are two precious commodities in a hospital). Don’t add to the patient’s overall level of distress. If you arrive at an inconvenient time, then say a few words to let the patient know that you care, and then leave.

You can survive being in the hospital, as a patient or as a visitor. Be realistic and be considerate…and be well.
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