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Hospitals can be intimidating places, and most of us will not visit them in the best of circumstances. However, there are way of making hospital visits easier and more comfortable.
One thing to keep in mind is that, although you are asked for quite a bit of personal information on your forms, you do not necessarily have to share all this information in advance. Call ahead and see if you can be pre-admitted with some basic information you give over the phone, and tell them that you may not be comfortable sharing too much private information that could be compromised. It is also helpful to plan ahead and make sure that you have a friend or loved one checking in on you every day, preferably in person. This is partially for the obvious reasons, but also because hospitals tend to give slightly better care to patients who are being checked on regularly. You can leave the contact information of your visitor with your nurses as well, and vice-versa, so that they can check on your care.
Although it might seem rude, it is also appropriate to check that your caregivers are regularly washing their hands when exiting or entering your room, and reminding them to do so if they forget. A lot of airborne bacteria gets spread around in hospitals, and often by caregivers who forget to wash their hands. Also, although this is rarely shared with patients, all hospitals should have a patient representative that you can ask for if you have any concerns. Their services are free, and they should be able to help you with any concerns you may have with your care, as their job is to be an advocate for patient needs.
