Having a companion by your side on the day of surgery and at bedside as much as possible following surgery has many benefits. Planning ahead and arranging for a spouse, family member, or friend to be your advocate is time well spent. No matter how accepting and matter-of-fact we are about the plan for surgery, once the morning of surgery arrives, it is normal to feel anxious and even fearful. Having a supportive presence to drive you to the hospital (especially if you have the normal restrictions of nothing by mouth for 12 hours prior to surgery and may feel weak or headachy), and symbolically or literally holding your hand makes a positive impact on our emotional well-being. Everyone needs an advocate during a hospital stay!
There are many ways your advocate can assist during your hospital stay:
- Drive you to and from the hospital or surgical center.
- Hold personal belongings for you during surgery.
- Communicate with surgeon and medical team after surgery & remember details.
- Check that medications are administered correctly, by confirming that IV bags are correctly labeled with your name, and confirming with nursing staff that medication names and dosages are correct.
- If your call light is not responded to, your advocate can go to the nursing station to summon the care staff and find out what is going on.
- If there is an issue or conflict with your care, they can go to the Charge Nurse or Patient Liaison and discuss and problem-solve on your behalf.
- Accompany you and provide supervision for those recommended exercise walks around the corridors.
- After proper instruction, can help you get up safely from bed and move to the bathroom, or into an armchair.
- Keep you company and distract you with conversation, card games, movies, or by reading to you.
- Help guard your sleep during naps by requesting that the cavalry of non-urgent hospital visitors return later (e.g. volunteers with reading materials or the beverage cart, vitals checks that can wait an hour, flower delivery, chaplain).
- Help communicate with family by providing health status updates and “playing defense” if you really aren’t up to visitors.
- Keep an eye on your personal items if you are taken out of your room for imaging scans/ancillary services like physical therapy.
- Once general diet is approved and with permission from the medical team, can go out and get special treats for you — coffee drinks, ice cream, a good burger, etc.
- Fetch ice and juice/tea/coffee for you when care staff is busy.
- Copy down and understand aftercare/discharge instructions.
After surgery is not the time to be fiercely independent or self-reliant! It’s easy to see why everyone needs an advocate during a hospital stay.
Call in a special someone to be your advocate and companion. They will undoubtedly be happy to help, and you can return the favor once you are fully recovered! If you are having trouble accessing this needed support, please contact us at Eldercare Services today. We can help you put a plan in place, and can provide a qualified support team to meet any of your care needs.