During Your Hospital Stay

Smoking

For the health and safety of our patients, visitors and Caregivers, smoking is not permitted on Hospital property.

Meals

If your doctor does not place you on a special diet, you will have the chance to choose your meals for the next day. A daily menu comes with your breakfast tray. After you complete it, a Caregiver from the Food Services Department will pick it up. Registered dietitians analyze your meals and your nutritional needs to ensure that your dietary requirements are met. For help with your meal service, call extension 32075 on your Hospital room phone. If you would like to speak to a dietitian, please ask your nurse or doctor for assistance.

Medications

Your doctor will be prescribing all of your medications during your Hospital stay; therefore, please inform your doctor about all medications and vitamins you are currently taking. Your medications will be dispensed by our pharmacy and given to you by a nurse. Since you will not need any medications from home, please ask your family members to take any of your personal medications home for you.

Fire Drills

For your protection, the Hospital conducts fire and disaster drills. Your Caregiver will assist you if evacuation is necessary. The Hospital is a fire-resistant building, and Caregivers are trained in fire protection. If the fire alarms sound, please remain in your room and do not use the elevators.

Medical Equipment

Depending upon your health, special medical equipment may be used to help you. If you have questions about these monitors or are worried when the alarms sound, please talk to your nurse.

Oxygen

For your safety, electronic equipment and aerosol products are not permitted in your room if you or your room-mate are receiving oxygen therapy.

Infection Control

If you have an infectious disease or illness that can be passed to others, Caregivers may isolate you during your care to protect you, your family, friends and Hospital staff. Please ask the nursing staff for special instructions for visitors.

Pain Management

We want you to be as comfortable as possible when you are with us. If you are feeling any pain, please tell your nurse or doctor so that our Caregivers can help you. Try to describe when your pain occurs, where you feel it, whether it is constant or not, and how it feels (sharp, dull, throbbing, etc.). If your pain is unmanageable to you, ask your nurse for a pain consult.
Caregivers can create a pain management plan to help you. It may include medication and/or alternatives such as physical therapy, guided imagery, touch therapy or relaxation techniques.

Palliative Care

We offer Palliative Care services for patients suffering from serious illnesses that may not be curable. Expert services focus on making you and your family as comfortable as possible.

• Pain can be particularly troublesome.
• Often nausea, shortness of breath, and bowel symptoms complicate serious disease. Discussing topics such as how aggressive you want your medical care to be can be difficult. Understanding a portable DNR order and other patient choices can be confusing.
• Strong feelings of anxiety or depression may accompany serious illness and require management apart from treating the basic disease.
• Spiritual distress is a frequent accompaniment of serious illness.
• Talking to family members when you are seriously ill can be challenging.

The Palliative Care Service is competent and comfortable helping you and your family deal with any or all of the above areas. If you think you or your family would benefit from these services, ask your doctor or nurse about them.

A Physician Assistant coordinates the team, which includes nurses, physicians, psychologists, pharmacists, rehabilitation and respiratory therapists, dietitians and chaplains. The team is dedicated to making you as comfortable as is humanly possible during your illness from beginning to end.

Radiology

Many patients visit our Radiology Department during their stay in the Hospital. Your visit will consist of two parts. The first part is the x-ray, ultrasound, CT or other procedure. The second part is the analysis or reading of the test by a Board Certified Radiologist. The radiologist may communicate directly with your doctor after analyzing your results. In the Radiology Department, you will be asked to sign a release authorizing the Hospital to provide your insurance company with information about your condition so that they can bill the insurance company directly. The release also states that you understand that you are responsible for covering any services provided by the Hospital not covered by the insurance company.

Security/Escort Services

Every Caregiver at St. Vincent Charity Hospital wears a Hospital identification badge. If you are concerned about a stranger, please tell your nurse or call Protective Services at extension 32582.

A Protective Services officer is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to escort you or your visitor to the parking lot. If you would like to arrange for an escort, please call the Protective Services Department at 32582 on your Hospital room phone.

Pastoral Care

Our Pastoral Care team is here to help you and your family with your emotional and spiritual care during your stay, regardless of your religious affiliation. Chaplains are available to pray with you, counsel you, support you and offer guidance on end-of-life issues for patients and family members. A Chaplain can help you or your family through treatment decisions, providing emotional and spiritual support. If you are Catholic, you may receive daily Holy Communion from a volunteer Eucharistic minister and the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick from a priest, if you wish. If you or a family member would like to speak to a Chaplain, please let your nurse know.

Translation Services

If you need help communicating with Caregivers, the Hospital has interpreters available in many languages, including sign language. Please ask your nurse for assistance, if needed.

Mail and Flowers

When you receive mail or flowers, our volunteers, Information Desk Caregivers, or florists, will deliver them to you.

Newspapers

You can keep up with the world around you with a daily newspaper. The Plain Dealer and USA Today are available in the Main Lobby.