Hospital Bag

Has anyone mentioned packing hobby things like knitting or sewing/embroidery to help pass the time ?

Fleur20

Also include details of Power of Attorney and next of kin in your bag, along with your CHI number.

The medical part of my POA is already recorded on my NHS Scotland medical records, to save any hassle at all.
My CHI no. is on my my laminated list of complicated meds, stating when they should be administered and on what days and stuck to the box, which holds them.
#very smug patient!

Also include details of Power of Attorney and next of kin in your bag, along with your CHI number.

By the way, it looks as though the booster worked. I didn't catch covid from my granddaughter. That is quite reassuring.

I might find my reading specs

Calistemon

^now need to go through it again to remove and replace any outdated items ( eg creams/wipes etc which have been in there for nearly 2 years)^

Yes, I need to do that too.
Thank goodness we haven't had to use them so far.

Gosh, I never thought of doing that! I will go through it and check use by dates etc and add a few more bits. I can’t remember exactly what is in my bag, it’s rather large so must be full of useful stuff!

now need to go through it again to remove and replace any outdated items ( eg creams/wipes etc which have been in there for nearly 2 years)

Yes, I need to do that too.
Thank goodness we haven't had to use them so far.

A portmanteau for me as I prefer my own towels.

mamma, the bag was in the old linen cupboard at the top of the stairs! Unfortunately, lulled into a false sense of security, I had been piling all my birthday and Christmas present bargains on top of!

Cue to 3am and two paramedics waiting for DH to locate the said bag.I got a right rollicking later from my children.
It is now located in the same place, but this time, it is on top of all the bargains!

In the light of that previous fiasco, I had the bright idea of purchasing a sunset yellow, hard shell cabin bag, thinking that, if they had to look for it, no-one would miss such a bright case.
I got such such a ribbing from nursing staff, porters etc, who asked if I thought I was heading to Majorca or somewhere nice. The nurses in the discharge lounge, were all taking turns to admire it and wheel it around the room.

I have reverted back to the dreary one with the ribbon attached.

It’s strange that this thread should appear as I was talking about this exact thing with my neighbour only yesterday.
Following a thread read during the 1st lockdown instigated I think, by Marydoll about how her bag had a ribbon on it and was under the stairs or similarly placed, I too put a bag together.
I nearby unpacked it a few months ago, when things seemed to be going in the right direction, but I didn’t, and now need to go through it again to remove and replace any outdated items ( eg creams/wipes etc which have been in there for nearly 2 years ?) I also will update the contents following the helpful suggestions on this thread.
Thankyou ladies, I hope we don’t need our bags but this is the positive side of being a member of Gransnet- there are times when we learn things and times when we can help each other. Go Grans !

When I was in hospital no visitors were allowed, although family members could drop things off at reception and the things would happen brought to you. Now one designated visitor is allowed per patient, although I assume it’s still no visiting on the Covid wards. When my mother broke her shoulder in the summer I was allowed to visit but no one else could. I had to ring up and book a one hour slot as only one visitor was allowed in the ward at a time. Luckily she was in a two bed room so slots were easily available.

cornergran

I found an extra long charging cable invaluable as the standard length cable wouldn’t reach from plug point to bed. Made it easier for me and for the staff.

Agree Cornergran we’ve got such a spare charger kept for eventual hospital stays.

I packed a bag after reading a previous thread about it on here, it started off fairly small but is now a sizeable hold-all as I keep on adding things. I now need to add ear plugs, spare reading glasses, a couple of days of my medication, a couple of plastic bags to put dirty washing in and a bra!

In addition to all the items listed here, I also have a puzzle book and a shower cap!

A friend is in hospital and her very expensive varifocals have been lost so I have packed a pair of poundland readers.

I have got a bag packed but hope I don't need it.

However, when it was very cold recently I was hunting for a favourite pair of pjs, thought I must have thrown them out but then remembered they're in the hospital bag.

I have a bag packed and it contains
2 x PJS & cotton dressing gown,its so hot in my local hospital
6 x cotton nicks
tena lady pads
wash bag & deodorant
medication for 3 days
phone & charger
note book with phone details
spare reading glasses I'm always losing them.
I've never needed to use the bag but all the family know where it is in my bedroom just in case

Mamie, that does appeal to my odd sense of humour.

It reminded me, when after some chest x-rays, there was a huddle of medics whispering and having, what looked like, a very serious discussion about the results.

I asked if they were querying the strange, grey masses on my x-ray, then explained it was the cement holding my vertebrae together.
Cue, a huge sigh of relief. from the doctors!

I found an extra long charging cable invaluable as the standard length cable wouldn’t reach from plug point to bed. Made it easier for me and for the staff.

Always three courses Marydoll like the school lunches. But I did laugh at the story of someone who was given blood sausage for lunch. She vomited (not surprised) and they thought it was a stomach bleed. ?

I would put up with the tea, for the sake of the food. The food in our local hospital is awful!
Earplugs are a brilliant idea. The last time I was in, the two ladies in the next beds chatted until one in the morning! ?

Earplugs.
And here in France tea bags, because a weak "tea bag" floating in a bowl of lukewarm water is the worst bit of being in hospital. On a positive note the food is very good.

That’s useful, thanks, quite a big list, I’ll need to get a bag out.
And buy some pjs!

I assume, different hospitals and health authorities have different protocols.
When I was in hospital , in January, absolutely no visiting was allowed in any wards and the only thing my husband was allowed to do, was to hand in my charger, through the window of the receiving ward I was in. Once in high dependancy, it wouldn't have been allowed.

Here at the moment, only essential visiting is allowed and none at all in some wards.

I was on a Covid ward in January and all normal clothing such as pjs, dressing gown, slippers, socks, and underwear was allowed. Also any personal things, toiletries and iPad etc. All towels were provided by the hospital and changed each day. They also provided small bars of soap if needed. As I was taken in to hospital in a hurry (ambulance arrived 15 minutes after I was told I was going in) I only took a few things that I told my husband to put into a bag, but family were allowed to take other things into the hospital and leave them at a reception point near the door, and the things were brought to you the same day.

When I had an overnight stay a couple of years ago, I made sure I grabbed my phone and charger, as I knew it would be essential. When I got back home I packed a hospital bag but didn’t keep it long when my fears of being admitted as an emergency subsided. Great tips from everybody!