Do You Know What To Do If Someone You Loved One Is In the Hospital?Written by Tammy Gonzales
If someone you know and love is in hospital there are a few things you need to know especially if you are Heath Care Agent or surrogate that will be acting and making decisions for patient. Keep a notebook and a pen available with you at all times. You will have many things going through your mind that you may need to keep track of and notebook will be helpful. Much of this information will be exchanged in days to come with physicians, other family members and friends, and discharge planner. Family or friends may be asking you questions and offering to do things for you. You do not have to do all of writing, assign whoever is with you to do some of writing for you. Be sure to use opportunities that family and friends will be offering you now. Select someone you trust who is supportive to be your helper. Let that individual know what it is that you need for them to do. Several others will be offering to help as well, but for next few days you need a support person. There will be those that offer to do specific things for you, allow them to do those things as long as you trust them. Then, there will be other individuals that will ask if there is anything that they can do for you that is non-specific, if know what these individuals can do for you, go ahead and ask them to do it. Make most out of this opportunity to allow others to give to you when they offer. (They may not later). Find out who discharge planner is and schedule a meeting as soon as possible. Discharge planning is a process and it begins at admission. The discharge planner will help you arrange care needed for your loved one or friend when it is time for them to go home. They must notify you of their plans before discharge occurs. The discharge planner can also be your liaison to get needed information from physician and different specialists who are following your loved one or friend. Ask nurse when physician will be doing his rounds. Most physicians do daily rounds or have rounds assigned. Be there during rounds. Make most of these daily opportunities. This will be time that you can ask physician questions and set up a meeting to talk about your loved ones condition, progress, diagnostics, treatments, medication and what may happen in future.
| | Clean Slates and Fresh Starts Written by Patricia Gatto
Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre.e of charge, as long as you include you include full byline, hyperlinks and Resource Box.E-mail or courtesy link appreciated when you publish mailto:Joyful-Productions@comcast.net Word Count (including Resource Box): 460 Summary: Encourage children to have empathy and compassion --------------------------------------- Clean Slates and Fresh Starts Patricia Gatto ©2004 All Rights Reserved. Joyful Productions Hope, excitement and anxiety all wrapped up in fresh haircuts and new clothes. Pens, pencils and notebooks, smell of a new box of crayons and a brand new book; it all speaks of such promise. It's first week of school and everyone starts with an "A". Children are on their best behavior as they cautiously gauge their new surrounding. But once those first days fade and familiarity takes shape, playing ground is no longer even. A pecking order becomes evident as cliques form and personalities emerge. And it is this pecking order that can make children unintentionally cruel to each other. If I could bottle up a time, it would be first week of school. Every child, for at least those first few days, has a new beginning, a fresh start and is on his or her best behavior. If I could capture essence that lingers in air and label it "open when necessary," it would be an invaluable gift.
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