Prepare for a Visit

Before You Arrive

During your stay with us we want you to feel at home! Though the hospital provides nearly everything you need for your stay you may wish to bring your favorite pajamas or robe, slippers, toothpaste, deodorant and other personal toiletry articles. In addition, please bring a list of medications you are taking.

Personal Items to Bring With You

Please bring any walking aid you use, such as crutches, a cane or walker. Dentures, hearing aids, eyeglasses and contact lenses should be kept in protective containers when not in use. It is a good idea to put your name on these items. Containers will be provided upon request.

Please avoid wrapping your dentures or hearing aid in a napkin or tissue, or placing them on your meal tray. These may be mistaken for trash and thrown away. The hospital cannot take responsibility for breakage or loss of such items, so please ask your family to take unnecessary items home.

Electrical Appliances

For safety reasons, we ask that you not bring any plug-in electrical appliances to the hospital. This includes shavers, radios, cassette players, hair dryers and rollers. All personal electrical equipment used for medical reasons will be ordered by your physician. You may bring battery-operated appliances, but you need to provide your own batteries.

Jewelry and Valuables

All jewelry and other valuables—including significant amounts of cash, credit cards and personal checks—should be left at home. You may want to have a few dollars for the lobby cart or to make incidental purchases. If you do bring valuables into the hospital, please give them to our security staff for safe keeping. The hospital is not responsible for loss of dentures, eyeglasses, hearing aids, other personal items or cash.

Medications

Your doctor will prescribe any medications you need while you are in the hospital. Please do not bring any medications from home, except eye drops or birth control pills.

DO bring in a list of your current medications including any vitamins or supplements you take.

Documentation and Advance Directives

Documentation you may need during the admitting process includes: your medical insurance cards, your Social Security card and a list of all medications you currently take. If you have an advance directive, such as a living will, a health care agent or power of attorney, it is helpful if you provide a copy to your physician and the hospital when you are admitted.

Consent Forms

You will be asked to sign consent forms and releases that allow us to provide care to you including:

• Giving medications and treatments prescribed by your doctor
• Permitting the hospital to release information needed for your care
• Authorizing insurance companies and health agencies for payment

Please know we will explain these forms to you when you are asked to sign them.