Your Stay

Admission

When you arrived and registered as a patient, you received a wristband with your name and other identifying details. Please wear this wristband throughout your stay. Staff will use this wristband to assure that you are properly identified before they provide care to you.

Valuables

The hospital cannot accept responsibility for your valuables. If you arrive with valuables, especially jewelry, cash or credit cards, please give them to a family member or friend to take care of during your stay. If you have no one to take them, ask a nurse on duty to lock them away. You can reclaim them when you are discharged. Please store contact lenses, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures in your bedside stand when you are not using them. Please do not put items on your bed or food tray. This can subject them to damage or loss. We cannot accept responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged items such as hearing aids, dentures, cell phones and other electronic devices.

Personal Items Needed

Most of the things you need during a hospital stay will be provided for you. Here are the personal items we suggest you have for your hospital stay:

  • Toothbrush
  • Toiletries
  • Robe/Slippers
  • Dentures
  • Eyeglasses
  • Contact Lenses
  • Hearing Aid
  • CPAP (breathing machine)

A hospital gown is provided, but many patients prefer to have their own pajamas or nightgown.

Nutritional Services

All inpatients receive a menu that includes three meals. Please mark your choices for each meal so we can offer you food that you prefer. If you are on a restricted diet, you will be given an appropriate menu. A food service representative collects menus daily. If you cannot be left alone and your support person cannot be relieved for meals, a guest tray can be ordered to be served with your meal. Each guest tray will be charged to your hospital bill at a cost of $5. As a courtesy to the parent or guardian of pediatric patients younger than age 12, one guest tray is provided at no charge.

Mail and Deliveries

Mail, flowers or other gifts will be delivered to your room. After you leave the hospital, mail that arrives for you will be forwarded to your home address. Other deliveries will not be accepted. Patients in intensive care and isolation are not permitted to receive flowers due to infection control concerns.

Discharge

The ultimate goal of your stay is to return your health to a point where you no longer require inpatient hospital care. That is called “discharge.” You should start thinking about discharge day early into your stay. We have people who can help with that. Our Care Management Department will work with you and assist you in coordinating your discharge. You, your physician or a member of your care team can request a discharge planning evaluation. Additional information about discharge can be found in the Patient Guide.