After some anxious hours in the ER, you learn that your loved one needs to be admitted to the hospital overnight. One of your immediate thoughts:

“What things should I bring from home?”

Here’s a quick checklist for an overnight hospital bag:
Favorite pillow and blanket
Bathrobe and slippers
Disposable earplugs (to make it easier to sleep!)
Electric toothbrush and toothpaste
Electric shaver
Reading glasses
Contact lenses, solution, and case (if practical)
Make-up
Hair care items
Deoderant
Mouthwash
Lotions, chapstick, etc.
Eye drops, hearing aids, etc.
Loose-fitting underwear
Lightweight PJs and/or sweats
Warm socks
Books, magazines, and newspapers
Writing tablet and a pen
Favorite radio
Small amount of money, including change for vending machines

Some electronic devices may not be allowed on your hospital floor. Check with the hospital first before bringing a laptop, MP-3 player, DVD player, and so on. If you do take these items, don’t forget about battery chargers, adapters, power strips, a mouse, and other needed accessories. Think about appropriate safeguards against theft.

Personally, for a hospital visit, I would definitely want my favorite pillow, blanket, and slippers, and something to read. A set of earplugs might make it easier to sleep in a noisy setting.

Of course you should also have needed paperwork such as a living will, insurance policy specifics, insurance cards, a list of current medications and allergies, and so on. If you have copies of past x-ray records at home that may be useful to your hospital physicians, make a digital copy to bring.

Caring for someone? Have your loved one think about the personal items he would want most during a hospital stay. List them in his personal health record (PHR).

Don’t have one yet? Check out a simple way to do it at MyFastTrack® Organizer.

Be as ready as possible for an emergency before one happens.

During a medical emergency in 2001, our family discovered the importance of being able to quickly share accurate information with emergency personnel.

These days, we wouldn’t be without our personal health record (PHR). How it works in our family:

• I maintain a personal health record for my parents on my home computer.


• My parents keep a hard copy in a binder to share with visiting nurses, physical therapists, and other medical professionals.


• I keep a copy in the trunk of my car for doctor appointments and hospital visits.


• My mom and I keep a copy on a flash drive in our purses for emergencies.

We maintain key information about home affairs and finances on the computer, too. Should someone end up in the hospital, other family members now have records to help.

What about you? Would emergency responders know your aging parent’s medications, allergies, and medical conditions? Your child’s? What if you panicked and forgot to mention key details? What if you were not there to help?

Would someone know how to manage your home and finances if you were suddenly not able? What if you had to do so for an elderly parent?

Check out MyFastTrack® Organizer - the simple, straightforward way to organizer family health information.