Let's face it; going to the hospital for any kind of procedure is daunting, even for the young and relatively healthy individual. But, for the older American, a hospital visit can be quite frightening and even dangerous. Older people are more susceptible to hospital borne infections and can often be a bit neglected by busy nurses and other caregivers. The following hospital tips have been compiled specifically for the older individual who is facing a hospital stay.
1. If you know you are going to be admitted to a hospital in the near future, ask a relative or close friend to visit you as much as possible, while you are in the hospital. Ask that person to be prepared to watch over you and make sure that your needs are met, should you not be able to do so, yourself.
2. Whenever possible, try to do most of the pre-admission process over the phone before the day of your surgery/treatment. That way, you can be sure that the information you are giving is correct and you will not be as nervous as you will be on the day of your admission. Be sure and tell the admissions coordinator about ALL medications you are taking (including non-prescription pills and supplements). You should also plan to bring these medications with you on the day of your surgery/treatment in their original containers. Expect that they will be taken from you and then reissued by the hospital pharmacist in conjunction with your physician. Hospitals do not allow patients to take medications on their own while under their care.
3. Make sure you bring your favorite nightclothes, a robe, slippers and some comfortable clothes to wear home after discharge. You should also bring your own toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, shampoo, deodorant, shaving cream and razor, etc. Hospitals will not provide these items to patients. Should you forget to bring any of these items, the hospital gift shop should have these items in stock at all times.
4. Do NOT bring valuable jewelry, including your watch and wedding rings. Leave these at home or with a trusted friend but don't wear them to the hospital! It is also best not to bring electric hair dryers as they may not be grounded to the hospital's standards and pose a safety issue.
5. A geriatric assessment may be done by the hospital care team for some elderly patients. There may be complex problems that could threaten their ability to live alone after certain surgeries or procedures. Usually, the physician assigned to the case will request the assessment by another physician, nurse, social worker and physical therapist. This assessment can help older patients receive all of the care they may need after they are discharged from the hospital.
6. Older patients can take much longer to recover from the effects of anesthesia than younger individuals. It is important that the patient get plenty of rest and a lot of fluids to help offset these effects. Report to a nurse or the physician if excessive dizziness, nausea or forgetfulness continues to be a problem more than 24 hours after the surgery. Also, the older patient should not be allowed to get up on their own after anesthesia without someone else to assist and evaluate their ability to get around without tripping over wires and tubes (always a hazard in the hospital),
7. Older patients can also experience more problems with IV's because their skin is much thinner and their veins tend to collapse. Any arm pain, sudden coldness, a huge bubble forming under the skin or stinging should be reported to the nurse right away as the vein may have collapsed and the fluid could be leaking under the skin.
In short, the elderly need special attention and care when admitted to the hospital. It is the responsibility of the hospital staff to make sure that the outcome is the best it can possibly be, but the reality is that the elderly need an advocate (or several) in the form of family and friends to make sure their needs are truly properly met.
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