COVID-19; Have a Hospital Bag Ready To Go

If you must go to the emergency room and are admitted to the hospital forcoronavirus, you will be in isolation. You cannot have visitors, and no one can bring you the things you might want. For example, suppose you were hospitalized after being rushed to the emergency room. You have your smart phone with you – but can’t use it for texting or entertainment because you don’t have reading glasses with you. The hospital gift shop is shuttered, so nothing can be ordered from there.

Put in your bag:

Miscellaneous

1.   All insurance cards
2.   Photo ID
3.   Eyeglasses
4.   Hearing aids and batteries
5.   Pajamas and Bathrobe
6.   Phone, charger and extension cord
7.   Laptop or tablet, charger and extension cord
8.   Pencil or pen and paper (if you have on an oxygen mask you may have to communicate by writing)

Lists (on paper or accessible via your phone, laptop or tablet)

1.   List of all the medications you take, including dosages and time of day taken.
2.   List of your physicians and their phone numbers.
3.   List of friends and family with phone numbers.
4.   List of any special dietary requirements
5.   Any passwords, user ID’s needed to access important sites, accounts, etc.

Documents (on paper or accessible via your phone, laptop or tablet)

1.   Health Care Surrogate (make sure you have surrogate’s contact information attached)
2.   Durable Power of Attorney for Property
3.   Living Will

Leave valuables at home!