5 Tips To Improve Your Hospital Stay

September 11, 2018


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No one ever wants to spend any time in a hospital, but sometimes it's an important part of the road to recovery. Some people find staying in a hospital overnight can be very nerve-wracking and stressful, and have a very uncomfortable night’s sleep as a result. The uncertainty of treatments and diagnoses can also add to this uneasiness. It doesn’t always have to be like that, though. There are ways you can improve your hospital stay so that you can enjoy some peace of mind. Here are 5 useful tips that can help you do just that.

1- Appoint A Decision Maker

It’s a good idea to appoint someone who will be with you for most of your stay as your decision maker. Generally speaking, most people give this role to their next of kin. They will then be the one who is in charge of making any important decisions regarding your care if you are ever too sick or incapacitated to do so. It’s a good idea to discuss your wishes with them so that they always make every decision with your best interest at heart. Check into your state laws about Power of Attorney and their roles.  

2- Spend Time Doing Small Admin Tasks

There will be a lot of waiting around while in the hospital. Even if you have to go through certain treatments or have an operation, you will still find that you have a lot of spare time to kill. As most hospitals now offer WiFi, you might as well take a tablet device or smartphone and spend some time doing any small admin tasks like paying bills. If you were injured in an accident you might want to check out www.dolmanlaw.com/truck-accident-attorneys or email your insurance provider. You might also want to email work if you were taken to hospital in an emergency. They’ll then know not to expect you in the office.


3- Keep A Record Of All Conversations

During your hospital stay, you will be speaking to a lot of nurses and doctors, all of whom will be updating you on your treatment and informing you of any further medicines or procedures that need to be carried out. This can be a lot of information at once, so it’s a good idea to keep a pad of paper and take notes of all conversations so that you don’t forget anything that you are told. This will also be helpful in passing information along to those with your after care or family members. 

4- Don’t Stay In Bed All The Time

Even though you may feel quite weak, sore and tired at times, it’s essential that you try to get out of bed as much as possible and have a short walk around. Staying active can help to improve recovery time and will also prevent any bedsores. 

5- Be Wary Of Infections

Unfortunately, infections can spread very quickly in hospitals so it is necessary to always do what you can to prevent them spreading by using the tips on www.nhcps.com/10-steps-preventing-spread-infection-hospitals. This will keep you healthier too. So, be sure to always wash your hands whenever you use the bathroom and asking visitors to use hand sanitizer as soon as they come onto the ward. And you should never feel bad about asking your physician or nurses to wash their hands before administering any treatment. 

With these five tips, your hospital stay should be more manageable. 

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13 comments

  1. All of these are such useful tips! Number two especially true. It can be easy to just write off your time at the hospital as waiting, but depending on the condition you can actually be fairly productive!

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:39 PM

      When I had my baby, I paid bills while I was there! I know, I know, I should have been resting! LOL

      Delete
  2. Wow! Great tips on a topic that most of us never think of! Keeping a record of conversations is so helpful--it's always good to have another adult available to listen in and write important information down.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:40 PM

      Thank you! Being in the hospital is so stressful, and trying to remember things is even more stressful.

      Delete
  3. Good advice that hopefully none of us will need to use!

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  4. Great tips. I love the idea about using the time in hospital productively.

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  5. I have never seen a post of this kind. This is an areas people usually overlook. Very productive tips

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:41 PM

      Yes most people do not think about these things until after the fact.

      Delete
  6. Useful tips and I am sure many people never think about such things. Only when it is too late. I think taking notes of conversations is a good idea. We had some confusion lately when my mum in law was in hospital. If she would have had some notes it would have saved her some stress.

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  7. All of these are such helpful tips to remember when staying in a hospital - with so much going on around you at the time, they can be easily forgotten.

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  8. Very informative article. I liked what you said - try to move out of bed. It not only physically helpful but also provides a positive motivation and the healing process doubles.

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  9. Excellent tips! Getting up and about was so important when I had to stay in hospital after having my two children. I'd just got for a walk around the ward and it made such a difference to my mood.

    ReplyDelete

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