Hospital Help

A family member recently had to spend a few weeks in the hospital. (They are on the mend and doing well.) we thought it would be helpful to share some things we learned.

There are many things friends and family can do to make a trip to the hospital or other long term medical care the most successful. Most importantly - Don’t Freak Out.

Before the visit, or during if you have to appoint two team leaders. Your friend or family “aka the patient” needs to think about getting well so multiple people trying to help becomes burdensome.

Team Leader 1 — Friends and Family Update Person: send texts friends and family updating folks on the progress, pitfalls, and celebrations! They can also be helpful in coordinating visits and should be ready for the long visits in the hospital.

Team Leader 2 - Patient Advocate- Annoyer in Cheif - “The most successful patient is the most annoying patient” - me. Doctors, Nurses, anyone in a hospital or other medical setting is just a normal human. (We are not taught to think this way but it’s true.) Most people still follow this philosophy so the odds are in your favor that the AIC (Annoyer in Cheif) will not be forgotten. Some things to talk to a medical team about: How did this happen? What needs to happen to prevent the problem? Given this type of surgery what kind of recovery should we expect? Do we need anything in our house to make the recovery quicker? I’d this happened to you or your friend what is one question you would ask? The more questions the better!

Stay tuned for information about making the most out of Doctors Visits and best ways to get home smoothly!