Make sure you have the following information before you leave Long Island Community Hospital:
1. Personal belongings. Please make sure you leave with all of your personal belongings.
2. Medications list. This is a listing of what medications you are taking, why, in what dosage and who prescribed them.
3. Rx. A prescription for any medications you need and a supply of medications for several days to give you time to get the prescription(s) filled.
4. Follow-up care instructions. Make sure you have paperwork that tells you:
- What, if any, dietary restrictions you need to follow and for how long.
- What kinds of activities you can and can’t do and for how long.
- How to properly care for any injury or incisions you may have.
- What follow-up tests you may need and when you need to schedule them.
- What medicines you must take, why and for how long.
- When you need to see your physician and any other home care instructions for your caregiver, such as how to get you in and out of bed, how to use and monitor any equipment, and what signs and symptoms to watch out for.
- Telephone numbers to call if you or your caregiver has any questions pertaining to your after-hospital care.
5. Other services. When you leave the hospital, you may need to spend time in a rehabilitation facility, nursing home or other institution. Or you may need to schedule tests at an imaging center, have treatments at a cancer center or have in-home therapy. Be sure to speak with your nurse or physician to get all the details you need before you leave.
Community resources. You and your caregiver may feel unprepared for what will happen after your discharge. Make sure your care manager provides you with information about local resources, such as agencies that can provide services like transportation, equipment, home care and respite care, and agencies that can help with patient care and respite care.