How Do You Survive In The Hospital — Part 1 — ER?
Your loved one is in the hospital. How do you make sure he gets good care? How do you keep yourself strong? Here are tried-and-proved tips to get both of you through this. Stay calm. (Or GET calm first.) Take slow deep breaths. Put your head between your knees, whatever it takes to keep yourself together. If this is an emergency, you have gotten your loved one to the hospital. That’s the first BIG step. Admitting/Intake: If the patient cannot speak for himself, you speak for him. Make sure the intake medical information is accurate — symptoms, vitals, history. Take charge of all his jewelry, wallet, laptop, briefcase, etc. Ask if there’s a hospital safe available until you have time to take items home. If patient is in pain, get him relief. Do not let various staff start rolling him away for tests until they relieve his pain. My method: “No! You’re not taking him anywhere until you stop his pain!” I chased down the ER doctor three times before he finally turned and shouted into the nu
