Category Archives: Hospital Stays

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3 Things to Know about a Patient Advocate

Ill Father Making A Last WillMany of our readers have questions about how to handle problems when they or their loved one is in the hospital. One of the things I always recommend is to contact the hospital’s patient advocate.

Most hospitals and healthcare facilities have a patient advocate that can often help you deal with the complexity of a hospital stay. Whether you are having trouble getting to talk to the doctor or you need a “team” meeting with all of your doctors to understand how the healthcare team is working together to get you better, a patient advocate can help.

Here are 3 things you should know:

  1. Patient advocates have many different names: They can be called Ombudsman, Care Advocates, Health Planners, Coordinators or Navigators.
  2. Different advocates specialize in different areas: Some advocates help you get insurance. Some help you figure out your hospital bills. Some advocates will sit with you and doctor to help you talk to the doctor about your care. Some will help you determine the best place for you to go when you leave the hospital. When you talk to a patient advocate, find out what they can do to help you. If they are not the right person, they will help you get to someone who can help with your particular problem.
  3. You must be your own patient advocate: You should never assume that the hospital will take care of everything. Hospitals have many patients and many healthcare specialists. If you are not getting the care you think you need, you must speak up. By asking the nurse or the doctor to speak with the hospital’s patient advocate, you will often be taking one of the best steps toward solving your healthcare problems.

Have you ever used a patient advocate? What tips do you have? I’d love to hear from you!

To learn more about your healthcare, please subscribe to MyHealthSpin.com and receive a FREE copy of my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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One Simple Item to Bring With You to the Hospital

Are you or a loved one going to the hospital? There is one simple thing you should bring with you that will make everything easier. Trust me on this.

In this short video, I tell you what that item is and how to use it.

To learn more hospital stays, get a FREE copy of my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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Rest in a Hospital: Is it possible?

Sleeping patient with doctors behind in hospital room

Someone was telling me that she couldn’t wait to leave the hospital to get some rest at home. During her pregnancy she received plenty of advice that she should sleep while she was in the hospital because once she got home with the baby, there would be no rest. She found, however, that sleeping in the hospital was nearly impossible with nurses and doctors coming in to check on her at all hours, machines beeping, and the constant flurry of activity.

You may think that the hospital is a good place to recuperate and get some rest after a procedure, but getting rest in a hospital is difficult. The building runs 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. There is always something going on.

To get the best rest in a hospital for you or your loved one, consider these points:

  1. Ask for a private room.
    If you have a roommate, you will be subject to their noise which means their doctors, nurses, visitors, talking, coughing, and so on. Getting a private room ensures that at least you will only be subject to noise related to your care.
  2. Ask if you can be assigned to a quiet room or floor.
    This might not be possible as certain illnesses require that you have a room in a specific location. However, sometimes the person assigning you a room can select one that is away from the elevator or the nurses’ station so that it is quieter.
  3. Adhere to the visiting hours.
    It might be comforting to have your family and friends visit, but remember you are in the hospital to get rest and recover. You can always have visitors when you go home and are feeling better.
  4. Ask what is scheduled for you.
    Remember that hospitals often wake you up in the middle of the night or early in the morning for blood work or tests. Ask your doctor what is scheduled for when so you can sleep in between.
  5. If you have a roommate, ask your nurse to monitor how many visitors your roommate is having and their noise level.
    Everyone has the right to get rest in the hospital.

Rest in a hospital may not be easy, but with these tips you may be able to rest a little better.

What problems have you had when you were in the hospital?  I’d love to hear from you!

To learn more about your stay in a hospital, subscribe to MyHealthSpin.com and receive a FREE copy of my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!