{"id":2607,"date":"2017-06-14T11:30:20","date_gmt":"2017-06-14T18:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/?p=2607"},"modified":"2019-11-07T23:26:24","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T07:26:24","slug":"how-to-advocate-for-a-loved-one-post-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/how-to-advocate-for-a-loved-one-post-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"How to advocate for a loved one post-surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve booked your surgery, packed your bags, and soon you\u2019ll be leaving for the hospital.<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s time to start thinking about your post-surgery stay. How should you prepare? How will you get the information you need? And how can you be a good advocate for yourself or a loved one?<\/p>\n

We asked Dr. Howard Willson, former Department Chief of Emergency Medicine at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, what he recommends when you or a family member are preparing for your inpatient hospital stay.<\/p>\n

Q: What should you do right away when entering the hospital room, if you or a family member are having surgery?<\/h3>\n

I always suggest meeting the nurse assigned to you. Normally, they\u2019ll come and meet you soon after admission. You\u2019ll likely see a handful of professionals, so ask the nurse who to expect, or ask each person who they are and what their role is.<\/p>\n

Q: What should people consider in terms of surgery?<\/h3>\n

First, I would understand all your options for surgery. Is this the right time? Is this the right procedure?<\/p>\n

Second, I would understand the risks: What could go wrong, and how do we prevent it? I recommend people find how long the surgery will last, how long they\u2019ll be in the hospital post-surgery, and what limitations they\u2019ll have.<\/p>\n

You should also vet your doctor<\/a> in terms of experience. Look for surgeons who do a lot of your types of surgeries each year.<\/p>\n

Q: How can family members advocate for loved ones post-surgery?<\/h3>\n

Ask questions. For example, \u201cWhat\u2019s that medication you\u2019re giving through the IV, and what\u2019s it for?\u201d Mistakes happen in the hospital, and simply asking questions or double-checking can help avoid many of them. You can also make sure the hospital staff knows about any allergies your family member has.<\/p>\n

Also, hospitals often look for certain criteria to be met before they discharge patients: Are they able to tolerate food, walk on their own, have had no fever for 24 hours, etc.? Find out what those criteria are.<\/p>\n

Q: What if the person out of surgery has no family member present? How should they handle discharge orders?<\/h3>\n

I recommend you always get a printed copy of the discharge order. That way you can review it anytime with your family. If you don\u2019t get a printed copy, repeat the order back to the person discharging you. That\u2019s a good test for knowing if you completely understand them.<\/p>\n

Q: How can people shorten their post-surgery stays in the hospital?<\/h3>\n

Being in as good physical shape<\/a> as possible before the surgery will often help.<\/p>\n

Q: How can people combat potential bacteria in their hospital room?<\/h3>\n

Most rooms have a Purell antibacterial gel dispenser. Everyone entering the room is supposed to use it to clean their hands.<\/p>\n

Make sure they do \u2014 nurses, doctors, everyone. Antibacterial gel is shown to markedly decrease hospital-caused infections, so this little gesture has a big effect. No doctor or nurse should feel offended if you ask nicely.<\/p>\n

Q: Any tips on \u201cworking the hospital system?\"<\/h3>\n

Your nurse probably has the biggest impact on your day-to-day care. To the extent you can, being grateful or taking a little time to get to know your nurse and nurse\u2019s aide can make a big difference. I\u2019ve seen family members bring in a box of doughnuts for the nurses\u2019 station (the area where all the nurses work).<\/p>\n

It shouldn\u2019t make a difference, but these are human beings who are influenced by gestures of appreciation. I\u2019m not saying you have to do that specifically, but even a verbal thank you is helpful. Just being a nice, reasonable person helps a lot.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, if you feel that a nurse is being rude or not caring for your loved one in a timely way, you should speak to the charge nurse (the head nurse on your floor). You can even call, write, or email the CEO. Nobody in a position of power wants an unhappy patient.<\/p>\n

Q: What doesn\u2019t the hospital staff want you to know?<\/h3>\n

Mistakes happen quite frequently \u2014 even in good hospitals. Most are not serious or are caught before they cause a big problem, but not always.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, hospitals are better at putting systems into place to reduce mistakes, but they definitely still exist. That\u2019s why it\u2019s helpful to advocate for a loved one who is in the hospital. You may think to yourself, \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know anything about medicine,\u201d but just asking questions helps ensure your doctors and nurses are thinking things through extra carefully!<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dr. Wil<\/em>lson was the Department Chief of Emergency Medicine at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. He received a BA from Dartmouth, an M.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and an MBA from Wharton.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve booked your surgery, packed your bags, and soon you\u2019ll be leaving for the hospital. Now it\u2019s time to start thinking about your post-surgery stay. How should you prepare? How will you get the information you need? And how can you be a good advocate for yourself or a loved one? We asked Dr. Howard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":2657,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,8],"tags":[475,463,501,462,408,461],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/advocate-post-surgery-featured.jpg","acf":{"post_type":"post","post_subtitle":"You or a family member have booked your surgery and will soon be admitted. How should you prepare?","post_hero_image":{"ID":2656,"id":2656,"title":"advocate-post-surgery-hero","filename":"advocate-post-surgery-hero.jpg","filesize":37827,"url":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/advocate-post-surgery-hero.jpg","link":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/how-to-advocate-for-a-loved-one-post-surgery\/advocate-post-surgery-hero\/","alt":"A female doctor looks at her patient while discussing post-surgery discharge orders.","author":"49","description":"A female doctor looks at her patient while discussing post-surgery discharge orders.","caption":"You or a family member have booked your surgery and will soon be admitted. Plan ahead with this post on what you should know about post-surgery discharge orders.","name":"advocate-post-surgery-hero","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2607,"date":"2017-05-30 17:57:18","modified":"2017-05-30 18:25:08","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":960,"height":400,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/advocate-post-surgery-hero.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":63,"medium":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/advocate-post-surgery-hero.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":125,"medium_large":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/advocate-post-surgery-hero.jpg","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":267,"large":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/advocate-post-surgery-hero.jpg","large-width":640,"large-height":267,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/advocate-post-surgery-hero.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":400,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/advocate-post-surgery-hero.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":400}},"post_cta_status":"true","post_conclusion_status":"false","post_co_branding_status":"false","mobile_content":{"mobile_story_label":"Health 101","mobile_post_title":"How to advocate for a loved one post-surgery","mobile_carousel_image":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/advocate-post-surgery-mobile-carousel.jpg","mobile_hero_image":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/advocate-post-surgery-featured.jpg","mobile_content_body":"

You\u2019ve booked your surgery, packed your bags, and soon you\u2019ll be leaving for the hospital.<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s time to start thinking about your post-surgery stay. How should you prepare? And how can you be a good advocate for yourself or a loved one?<\/p>\n

We asked Dr. Howard Willson, former Department Chief of Emergency Medicine at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, what he recommends when you or a family member are preparing for your inpatient hospital stay.<\/p>\n

Q: What should you do right away when entering the hospital room, if you or a family member are having surgery?<\/h3>\n

I always suggest meeting the nurse assigned to you. Normally, they\u2019ll come and meet you soon after admission. You\u2019ll likely see a handful of professionals, so ask the nurse who to expect, or ask each person who they are and what their role is.<\/p>\n

Q: What should people consider in terms of surgery?<\/h3>\n

First, I would understand all your options for surgery. Is this the right time? Is this the right procedure?<\/p>\n

Second, I would understand the risks: What could go wrong, and how do we prevent it? I recommend people find how long the surgery will last, how long they\u2019ll be in the hospital post-surgery, and what limitations they\u2019ll have.<\/p>\n

You should also vet your doctor in terms of experience. Look for surgeons who do a lot of your types of surgeries each year.<\/p>\n

Q: How can family members advocate for loved ones post-surgery?<\/h3>\n

Ask questions. For example, \u201cWhat\u2019s that medication you\u2019re giving through the IV, and what\u2019s it for?\u201d Mistakes happen in the hospital, and simply asking questions or double-checking can help avoid many of them. You can also make sure the hospital staff knows about any allergies your family member has.<\/p>\n

Also, hospitals often look for certain criteria to be met before they discharge patients: Are they able to tolerate food, walk on their own, have had no fever for 24 hours, etc.? Find out what those criteria are.<\/p>\n

Q: What if the person out of surgery has no family member present? How should they handle discharge orders?<\/h3>\n

I recommend you always get a printed copy of the discharge order. That way you can review it anytime with your family.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t get a printed copy, repeat the order back to the person discharging you. That\u2019s a good test for knowing if you completely understand them.<\/p>\n

Q: How can people shorten their post-surgery stays in the hospital?<\/h3>\n

Being in as good physical shape as possible before the surgery will often help.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q: Any tips on \u201cworking the hospital system?\"<\/h3>\n

Your nurse probably has the biggest impact on your day-to-day care. To the extent you can, being grateful or taking a little time to get to know your nurse and nurse\u2019s aide can make a big difference. I\u2019ve seen family members bring in a box of doughnuts for the nurses\u2019 station (the area where all the nurses work).<\/p>\n

It shouldn\u2019t make a difference, but these are human beings who are influenced by gestures of appreciation. I\u2019m not saying you have to do that specifically, but even a verbal thank you is helpful. Just being a nice, reasonable person helps a lot.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dr. Wil<\/em>lson was the Department Chief of Emergency Medicine at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. He received a BA from Dartmouth, an M.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and an MBA from Wharton.<\/em><\/p>\n"},"card_title":"Supporting a loved one post-surgery","header":"Related to past care","footer":"3 minute read"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}