The Essential Hospital Handbook: How to Be an Effective Partner in a Loved One's Care (Yale University Press Health & Wellness Yale University Pres) - Softcover

Patrick Conlon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300145764 ISBN 13: 9780300145762

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2009

Synopsis

A hospitalization is often as dismaying and frightening for family members as it is for the patient. And despite a heartfelt desire to understand what is happening and to comfort their loved one, too often relatives and friends feel helpless and marginalized by the hospital system. This valuable book is the first to assist families and friends of adult patients to navigate the unfamiliar and intimidating territory of the hospital. It spells out in the clearest terms how a family can form a partnership with medical providers to ensure the best patient care possible. Patrick Conlon's inspiration for the book was the sudden, frightening hospitalization of his longtime partner, Jim, and his personal struggles to develop a useful role for himself as a caregiver. Here he provides the handbook he wished he had when Jim was admitted to the hospital. Conlon offers encouragement, proven strategies, and clear advice - all with the goal of empowering others to become successful care partners at the bedside of their loved ones. Special features of the book include: simple steps to organize information and share it with hospital professionals; handy tear-out checklists to fill out before a surgery consultation, discharge planning, making a complaint, or other important meetings; definitions of hospital jargon (terms, abbreviations, euphemisms, acronyms, etc.); dozens of sidebars with useful tips and facts: can cell phones interfere with sensitive medical equipment? what does a Code Red call mean?; easy-to-use caregiver's chart and diary.

About this title

About the Author

Patrick Conlon is an award-winning journalist, author, broadcaster and public advocate for family-inclusive hospital care.

Edition details

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0300145764
• ISBN 13: 9780300145762
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288