Being in hospital

If the person you care for becomes seriously ill or injured, they may go into a hospital.

What to expect in hospital

Hospital staff will try to explain everything to you and tell you what they recommend. It can help to write things down and ask lots of questions. Don’t be afraid to ask the staff to say things more than once. If you have any concerns or complaints, speak to the nurse who is looking after the person you care for.

You might need to make decisions about the person’s care, if they can’t decide for themselves.

You might also need to consent (agree) to their treatment, if they can’t give consent themselves. The hospital usually needs consent from the person’s next of kin (closest family member) or their guardian before they treat the person.

What to do in hospital

Bring your emergency care plan to the hospital and give a copy to hospital staff. The plan has all the information about the person you care for in one place, including details of their medicines and care.

If the person you care for has an advance care plan (which says what care and health services they want), make sure you tell the hospital staff about it as soon as possible. The staff will use the advance care plan to help make decisions about medical treatment.

You should check with the hospital staff about who can visit the person and when they can visit. Let family and friends know what the hospital staff say.

When you visit, make sure you wash your hands because hospital patients can easily catch infections. Don’t visit if you are ill.

If the person you care for has an infection or is seriously ill, you may not be able to visit. There also may be times when hospital staff ask you to leave the hospital room so they can treat the patient. It is important for the person to rest and get the treatment they need, so listen to what the hospital staff say.