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    What Type of Hospital Room Do You Want?

    Hospital roomDid you know that there are different types of hospital rooms? Most hospitals have semi-private and private rooms. If you don’t ask, you will likely be assigned a semi-private room.  

    Since I was with my dad and my baby daughter during all of their hospital stays, I learned the importance of which type of room we were in. When my baby daughter was in and out of the hospital, I wanted to be careful that she wasn’t exposed to illnesses of other children in the hospital. For my dad, a quiet room was very important to his rest and recovery.  

    So, what is the difference between the rooms offered in the hospital?

    A semi-private room will likely be a room with two beds and a shared bathroom. There will be a curtain that divides your bed from the other patient in the room. The benefit will be that there will likely be no extra out-of-pocket cost for this room. The downside to this type of room is that you do not know what the other patient will be like, how much they talk (or are on their cell phone), or how often they will have their family in the room.

    A private room will likely be a room for only one patient with either a shared bathroom with the neighboring room or a private bathroom. There is often an out-of-pocket charge for a private room unless it is medically necessary. The benefit to a private room is that you will likely get more rest because you will not be disturbed by another patient, or his or her caregivers and family. You also won’t have to be concerned about being near a patient who may have an illness that you don’t want to be around. Additionally, if you have family or friends visiting you, this will likely be easier in a private room since you will not be disturbing another patient.

    Of course, all of these factors are dependent upon what your hospital offers, what illness you have and what your insurance covers. Check with the hospital before they assign you to a room. It is often harder to move once you are admitted to a specific room.

    Which type of hospital room do you prefer for you or your loved one? I’d love to hear from you!

    With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

    Learn more about what to do when things don’t go as planned with my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. You can get it FREE right now by subscribing to our blog.

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    Avoid a Trip to the Hospital by Wearing a Bike Helmet

    Happy family on their bike at the park on a sunny dayDid you know that about 300,000 kids go to the emergency room every year because of bike accidents? And about 10,000 kids every year have to stay in the hospital for a few days due to bicycle injuries. Some of these injuries are so serious that some children die every year.

    As a single mom of two busy girls, I know how hard it is to enforce the “no bike without a bike helmet” rule. However, since your child could get a brain injury if they fall, it’s important to insist that they wear a helmet.

    Here are some things you should know about bike helmets:

    1. The U.S. government has specific standards for bike helmets. Always look for one that has a sticker on it that says the bike helmet meets all of the government’s requirements.
    2. Insist your child wears their bike helmet all the time – even for short rides.
    3. It is very important that the bike helmet fit correctly. Never allow your child to wear a hat under the helmet. If you are unsure how to choose the proper sized bike helmet, ask someone at the bike store to fit it properly to your child’s head.
    4. If you can tap the front or back of the bike helmet and it moves (some children like to wear the helmet like a sombrero), it doesn’t fit correctly.

    How do you get your child to wear their bike helmet? I’d love to hear from you?

    With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

    Learn more about what to do when things don’t go as planned with my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. You can get it FREE right now by subscribing to our blog.

     

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    4 Questions to Ask Your Doctor When You Are In the Hospital

    DoctorWhile in the hospital, you may see a number of different doctors, and not all doctors are the same. Understanding who your doctor is may be one of the most important questions you can ask to improve your care.

    When I was taking care of my dad in the hospital, I often became confused about which doctor I was talking to.  

    I learned that when a doctor walked into my dad’s room that asking who the doctor was is always the best place to start.

    I always asked these 4 questions:

    1. What is your name? If you don’t understand them, ask them to spell it or write it down for you.
    2. Who are you? They should tell you whether they are the resident or fellow or the primary doctor.  If they don’t, ask them.
    3. When is the attending doctor going to see me?
    4. Will my primary care doctor be making the decisions or a specialist?  If it’s a specialist, who is it?

    These questions helped me be clear about my dad’s care while in the hospital.

    Have you ever been confused about the doctors in charge of your care when you were in the hospital? I’d love to hear from you!

    With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

    Learn more about what to do when things don’t go as planned with my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. You can get it FREE right now by subscribing to our blog.