Christine M. Valentin, LCSW, LLC
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How Do I Prepare for an Unplanned Hospitalization? 

4/18/2013

6 Comments

 
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Having a relative/friend in the hospital can be extremely stressful for a variety of reasons. Aside from stressing about your loved one’s condition, additional stressors like answering questions related to his/her medical insurance and medication and/or producing legal documents can quickly make an overwhelming situation seem impossible to manage. In order to make the situation seem manageable it is important to know what steps/actions you can take before a crisis arises. Below are a few recommendations to consider:  

1) Create a Folder – important documents like a Health care proxy, Power of attorney, a list of medications, health insurance, and other pertinent information should all be kept in one place as, at one point or another, a health care professional may ask for them. Having a folder, file or place you can turn to easily to get the documents can save you a lot of time and hassle from trying to remember where you put them and from having to sort through a mound of unrelated documents. As is the case for many people, you usually can’t find something until you are not looking for it.

2) Prepare a Hospital Bag – should your loved one be admitted into a hospital, he/she may feel more comfortable and less anxious if they have some of their own belongings. Personal items like a nightgown/pajama's, eyeglasses, dentures, reading materials, etc., can help reduce any anxiety your loved one may be experiencing as a result of being in a different place, wearing different clothes, and sleeping in a different bed. You should also include some items for yourself like a cellphone charger, quarters for the vending machines, reading materials and snacks.  

3) Delegate Responsibility - if you are the primary caregiver, chances are you will have to keep various family and friends updated on your loved one's condition and progress. Appointing someone else who can do this can be a great relief, both from a time and stress perspective. You may also want to consider delegating other tasks you are generally responsible for like cooking, cleaning, going to the Pharmacy, etc. One less thing for you to do can help you focus more attention on your relative and yourself.

Having a loved one in the hospital is no "walk in the park," especially if it is an unexpected occurrence and your loved one's condition is critical. Preparing beforehand can help minimize the stress you experience. Do you have any other suggestions or tips you would like to share regarding a loved one’s hospitalization? Please do so below…


6 Comments
Patty Ribera link
4/23/2013 01:39:16 am

Additionally, there are flashdrives available to organize the pertinent health care history and physician contact info. As a professional organizer, I work with families to gather all the info and record it on the flashdrive. The potential patient can keep the flashdrive on a keychain or wear as a bracelet, similiar to the 'medic alert' ones only with all the information needed.

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Christine M. Valentin link
4/23/2013 02:27:35 am

Hi Patty, thank you for your recommendation. It is information I'm sure some individuals will find helpful.

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Richard Apple
4/25/2013 08:16:13 am

Excellent advise. The only thing I would add is the importance of in advance thinking through and writing down (or flash drive) the preferences on various medical interventions (feeding tubes, chemotherapy, etc.) so that you are not impulsively reacting to the intense pressure that medical staff can and often do bring to bear on those types of discussions.

A companion blog would be planning in advance for the caregiver having to go to the hospital. Many of the same ideas would be helpful. In addition, now is the time to work with in home or facility respite providers to develop a plan and to communicate that plan to back ups within your care system. It's kind of like succession planning in an organization. If nothing is in place the outcome is unlikely to be positive.

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Christine M. Valentin link
4/29/2013 03:18:21 am

Hi Richard,
Thank you for your recommendation. Planning ahead by writing things down can be a great way of reducing the stress associated with recalling certain information especially when an individual is being pressured for the information. Thanks again!

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Presidio Home Care link
5/8/2013 01:59:59 am

It is obvious that planning beforehand for any emergency can be very helpful in reducing stress and will also help save a lot of time. I think in comparison to arranging a folder with necessary documents and preparing a hospital bag with personal items, delegating responsibility of your routine tasks is more important. You need to appoint someone who can efficiently execute your tasks which may include any household work or something else. Most importantly, you need to appoint the right person for the right task. Overall it’s a nice post and makes some fantastic points in terms of recommendations.

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Christine M. Valentin link
5/8/2013 09:26:47 am

Thank you for your comment. Delegating responsibility, if possible, can definitely be a time saver and reduce addtional stressors. Thanks for pointing that out!

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    Christine M. Valentin 

    As a licensed clinical social worker, I help individuals caring for a loved one reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and stress.  This blog is meant to share with you, many of the suggestions I recommend to many family caregivers. Sign up to receive them directly.

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The Site does not provide psychotherapy advice. The Site is intended only for use by individuals in search of general information of interest pertaining to caregiving, stress and related topics. Content is not intended to replace or serve as substitute for professional consultation or service. Contained observations and opinions should not be misconstrued as specific counseling advice.
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