While some hospital stays may be unexpected, if your physician has given you specific instructions to prepare for your hospital visit it is important that you follow these guidelines closely. These instructions may include changes to your diet, medications and/or daily activities. Contact your physician if you have any questions about your pre-admission instructions.
Before your hospitalization, we also recommend that our patients complete the Five Wishes questionnaire, a low-cost care planning tool provided by Aging with Dignity, a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving human dignity and promoting better care for those near the end of life.
While most hospitalizations are uneventful, completing the Five Wishes will ensure that your loved ones know more about your wishes regarding your care. This questionnaire helps you identify who you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them, the kind of medical treatment you do or don't want, how you want people to treat you, and how comfortable you want to be. Click here to learn more about Five Wishes or contact our Social Services Department at (323) 268-5514, ext. 4587.
When you check in at the hospital, you will be provided with basic hygiene items, such as shampoo, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste for your convenience. You may also want to bring personal items such as a bathrobe, slippers and other personal care items from home to make your hospital stay more comfortable. Personal items such as hearing aids, eyeglasses and dentures are the responsibility of the patient.
The Hospital also does not accept responsibility for patient's belongings lost or left behind. Please leave all valuables, including money, jewelry, credit cards and cellular phones at home. For emergency situations in which the patient has valuables in their possession, we recommend giving them to a family member for safekeeping or request our Admitting staff to have the items inventoried and deposited into the hospital's safe deposit box.
If you are taking any medications, including over-the-counter medicines and supplements, please bring a list of all these medications you are currently taking.
We encourage you to be involved in your health care. Please ask questions, tell us your concerns, hopes, and needs related to your care, treatment, services or any patient safety issues. With your involvement, our team of nurses, doctors, technologists, technicians, therapists and support staff will work with you to make your stay and recovery as smooth as possible.
As a patient, you have certain rights, including the right to impartial access to treatment, the right to privacy and the right to refuse any treatment. But what should happen if you became too sick to make your own medical decisions? We recommend that you complete the Five Wishes questionnaire; a low-cost care planning tool provided by Aging with Dignity, a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving human dignity and promoting better care for those near the end of life. Completing the Five Wishes will ensure that your loved ones are able to support your wishes regarding your care. Click here to learn more about Five Wishes, or contact our Social Services Department at (323) 268-5514, ext. 4587.
The standard hospital room contains either two or three beds, a bathroom and a television. Telephones are available in each room. Your family may contact you through the hospital operator at (323) 268-5514. Upon arrival, a caregiver will provide instructions on how to use the telephone, lights, television, adjust your bed and operate the nurse call light.