“You don’t appreciate life until you get to the other side. Like lying in a hospital bed.” Fabrice Muamba

Hospitalisation of the family member is a very stressful event. It drains physical, emotional, and financial energy.

If the patient is suffering from a life-threatening health issue then your anxiety doubles. If you do not have sufficient health cover then your stress doubles.

You need manpower to stay at night; you need manpower to consult the doctor for the 2nd opinion. You need manpower to accompany you or run for you.

In many cases, you can plan your/family member’s hospital stay but many a time it could be sudden. You do not get the time to plan for it. If you know in advance how to prepare for the hospitalisation, it reduces the burden to some extent.

Here is a list of things to keep in mind when you or the family members /friends are hospitalised.

1. Keep Your Health Record Handy

Keep assembled all your medical records handy. Your treating doctor may require some of the previous reports.

Advance preparation can save time for you.

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2. Inform Health Insurance Agent / Company

This is an immediate requirement. When it is a planned admission inform the health insurance company in advance. When it is a sudden admission, inform the company as soon as possible.

Know from the agent or the company other requirements to be fulfilled.

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3. Keep Bank Balance Ready

“A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running”. Groucho Marx          

Hospitals do not accept more than rupees two lakhs in cash. This makes it mandatory to have your bank balance adequate to swipe your debit card. You can also use a credit card.

Sometimes you need to pay in an emergency. It is better to keep the hospital account added as Beneficiary in your / family members, and friend’s online bank account.

You can ask anyone to transfer the fund as and when required.

4. Keep Someone with You

Keep some of your close relative/ friends with you who can help you think objectively.  In some critical conditions where important decisions have to be taken, sometimes family members become emotional and cannot decide objectively.

They need someone who is close and think objectively to help in their decision is making the process.

You also need someone to talk with the doctor without getting emotional.

5. Keep Pen and Diary

If you are going to stay with the patient you need to keep a pen and paper handy. Many times you need to write down what the doctor advice for the patient.

Various form filing is a part of admission and other procedures.

6. Keep Kindle or Book

“In the hospital, people should be able to have time to themselves” Zaha Hadid

If you are accompanying the patient or the patient is in good condition to read, keeping a Kindle or books with you is a good idea.

This is helpful where you have to pass time doing nothing.

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7. Check Bills

Finally, this is an important duty of someone accompanying the patient. Even computerized bills can be erroneous. It can have errors in doctors’ visiting charges. Usually, 2nd visit onward charges are lesser.

It can have an error in clubbing of various charges, medicines not used are added, and initial deposit credit might be missing. There are chances of various such errors.

Be watchful and double check the items.

“Never walk into a hospital crying. Have an attitude that you will make someone else’s life better.” Jim Kelly

This is just an indicative list of the things to keep in mind before and during the Hospitalisation.

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