Have you got a "Grab bag" ?Everyone needs one!

Thanks Grandmafrench. I will buy some from Amazon. At my age a stay in hospital is almost inevitable so few people seem to die at home, but I am currently in good enough health.

I’d only guess that gowns are provided but otherwise all items of personal clothing come with you/are brought in from home. Sorry, not very helpful.
But, don’t stress about laundering knickers, there are endless packs and styles of disposable ones for sale on Amazon.
All good wishes for a rapid return to good health.

During Covid we had local collections of nightwear and toiletries which were donated to hospitals as patients went in without essentials and relatives or friends were not allowed to visit.
I'm not sure what happens under normal times.
No-one would want to wear a hospital gown unless absolutely necessary!

I seek information about what to expect in hospital. Can someone please tell me if the ward sister organises personal laundry and can supply clean knickers , sanitary wear, modest robes, and gowns, as in the olden days in hospitals.

If not, is it reasonable to buy disposable paper gowns and knickers for the grab bag? I just don't want my elderly sons to be washing my used knickers.

GrannyLaine thank you. Yes we do have that now. Amazing in times of panic how your brain stops working. Good advice. Many thanks.

Doodle

When my DH was rushed into hospital with sepsis we were on holiday. I was completely flustered. Couldn’t find his phone didn’t know where we were (holiday address didn’t have postcode on paperwork and the site reception didn’t know either!!) ambulance arrived in pouring rain on dark night and took DH off missing half of his essentials. Mid Covid not only couldn’t I go with him I couldn’t visit either.

Came home after that and made up a grab bag for us both. List of DHs operations, medication, phone charger extension lead as plugs usually a long way away in hospital. Toiletries and a list of things from home to put in at the last minute.
All kept in cupboard above bed so at hand. Great idea.

Doodle maybe consider downloading the What3Words app on your phone? Enormously useful for pinpointing your location in many situations.

When I had to go into hospital urgently, one of questions the paramedics asked, was did I have a hospital bag.

There was no time to look for anything.

I’m going to start putting one together - especially as like Normandy girl, I’d be waiting days for mrstorynanny to find stuff I wanted!

That's not so easy if you live on your own and nobody knows where you keep anything.

No grab bag, but when we both needed one, on separate occasions it took barely 5 minutes to assemble.

All I put in mine was night attire, wash bag - and I took my handbag, less my wallet, That contains, telephone, kindle and a small make-up bag. What else is needed?

All the other things can be brought in later, as and when required.

Glad to say DH is home and did not need the bag the 1st and 2 visit after all, like a good girl guide next time I will" be prepared".Thanks for the kind wishes.
I've started and nearly completed the bags.
All I can say to argymargy is I hope she never has to use one or someone close needs one. I can remember visiting my late mother who lived a long way from us and fell down some steps and was admitted to hospital. Her niece had to find all the necessities and my mother was sitting in her oldest nightie and slippers with a disgusting toilet bag. My cousin had found the bag waiting to go to the local recycling.
Also when young I had a dd admitted as a very urgent case with a police escort, I should have learned my lesson from these two occasions. it never happens to you until it does.

A grab bag is a good idea and not just for hospitals.

I had a smoke alarm go off at 5.30am the other day and it gave me a big fright, everything in the house was ok and I replaced the batteries next day. At 5.30 and that sudden alarm, I was very groggy, hard to think straight

The next day had me thinking, one of those reality checks, yes I would have grabbed my small suitcase containing all my paperwork. Then I realised that I would have needed some basic clothes and toiletries as in a grab bag. I have the right bag, which would fit into a locker.

I’m guessing that those of us who are prepared with a bag have been caught out in the past?

I went to my GP, was sent straight to hospital and stayed there for 10 days without any warning. It was a right faff for my husband to find my stuff with 2 young children to look after too.

argymargy

Sorry but I think it's a very pessimistic approach to life, to go to the trouble of keeping a bag full of stuff just in case you have to go to hospital. And for almost all of those who think they are healthy and suddenly have a heart attack/stroke, they were kidding themselves.

Well, I had a sudden heart attack, but hadn't thought of myself as particularly unhealthy - non-smoker, rare drinker and not overweight. Obviously I was kidding myself!

argymargy

Sorry but I think it's a very pessimistic approach to life, to go to the trouble of keeping a bag full of stuff just in case you have to go to hospital. And for almost all of those who think they are healthy and suddenly have a heart attack/stroke, they were kidding themselves.

I take it you weren't a Girl Guide or Boy Scout, argymargy!

When my DH was rushed into hospital with sepsis we were on holiday. I was completely flustered. Couldn’t find his phone didn’t know where we were (holiday address didn’t have postcode on paperwork and the site reception didn’t know either!!) ambulance arrived in pouring rain on dark night and took DH off missing half of his essentials. Mid Covid not only couldn’t I go with him I couldn’t visit either.

Came home after that and made up a grab bag for us both. List of DHs operations, medication, phone charger extension lead as plugs usually a long way away in hospital. Toiletries and a list of things from home to put in at the last minute.
All kept in cupboard above bed so at hand. Great idea.

argymargy

Sorry but I think it's a very pessimistic approach to life, to go to the trouble of keeping a bag full of stuff just in case you have to go to hospital. And for almost all of those who think they are healthy and suddenly have a heart attack/stroke, they were kidding themselves.

There's nothing " pessimistic" about it, it's no different to being prepared for say unexpected guests, unexpected weather or your car breaking down.
A grab bag is useful for lots of different scenarios . Just recently I had an emergency call at 4 in the morning as my daughter had gone into premature labour and I was needed to babysit the other children and I was stuck there for the next 72 hours.

It's an insurance Sawsage
If you pack one ready you hope you'll never need it

I hate hospitals and hope never to go in one for anything so haven't got a bag ready (I know, I know)

I took the toothpaste out of mine this morning, must remember to replace it and double check what's in there.

Remember to replace any medication regularly in case it goes out of date.

When fires were approaching last time we were in Australia I wished I'd kept a bag packed with essentials. Luckily the fire breaks held.

It's a good idea

I’d never heard of this. It reminds me of the hospital bag we kept towards the end of pregnancies.
It’s an excellent idea, thanks

Excellent idea. Must do this tomorrow. You never know.

While DH was ill I always had a hospital bag ready with pyjamas, wash bag, a list of medication and so on. If we had to do a sudden rush to hospital I just had to grab his meds and we were good to go.

I headed my list of medications with 'Advance Directive in place'.