An unplanned hospital admission: what to expect and what to bring

The first few hours

The early part of an unplanned admission is mostly waiting, interrupted by short bursts of being asked the same questions by different people. It can feel disorienting rather than dramatic, and it often happens somewhere brightly lit with nowhere comfortable to put your things.

It helps to lower your expectations about time. How long anything takes depends on the hospital, the department and how busy the day is, so it is usually more useful to settle in for a long wait than to keep guessing at the next step.

• Keep a phone, a charger and bank card together— they are the things people most often lose track of.
• If somebody is with you, agreeing early on who goes home to fetch things saves a lot of confused messaging later.
• Writing down names and anything you are told, even roughly, is easier than trying to remember it afterwards.

What to bring immediately

The immediate list is short. It is about getting through the first night rather than being properly packed, and almost everything else can follow tomorrow.

• A way of keeping a phone charged from an awkwardly placed socket.
• Any regular medication, or at least a written list of it, along with any allergy information.
• Glasses, hearing aids and anything else that makes communication easier.
• Something to sleep in that does not need pulling over your head. There is a decent chance the first night involves a hospital gown, but the moment you are able to swap it for your own pyjamas or nightie, you will probably be very glad you packed them.

What somebody can bring later

Once the immediate panic settles, a second bag can be packed properly. This is where people usually get it right, because there is time to think about a whole day rather than one night.

• Clothes that fasten at the front and do not need to go over a cannulated arm.
• Your own pillow and pillowcase, a lightweight blanket and a nice warm layer (cardigan/zip up hoodie)
• Slippers with a back and a grippy sole, plus grip socks.
• Sleep kit for a place that never goes fully dark or fully quiet. We have done this enough times to be extremely opinionated about what actually helps; our Sleep & noise guide has the specific things we would choose.
• Something to drink from that you can manage easily in whatever position is safe for you.
• Low-concentration entertainment for the long flat afternoons.
• Label anything you would genuinely mind losing. Things move between bays, and we have made printable belongings labels for exactly this reason.

Questions and information worth keeping together

Ward rounds can be brief, and they rarely arrive at a convenient moment. Keeping one notebook — paper is often easier than a phone when you are tired — means questions are ready when somebody is actually standing at the bed.

If it helps, we’ve made a simple ward round notes printable you can use.

Questions as they occur to you, rather than trying to remember them all at once.

• Names of the people you have spoken to, and what was said.
• A note of any test or scan you have been told about, so you can ask about it again.
• Contact details for whoever is handling things at home.

Small things people commonly forget

These are the items that almost never make the first bag and are quietly missed within a day.

• A hair tie, comb or brush. If you have long hair, pack more than one hair tie. Between us we have improvised with elastic bands, socks and, in one desperate moment, a tourniquet. It worked. Getting it back out of the hair was considerably less successful.
• A bank card for anything that needs paying for.
• A pen.
• Something warm for the shoulders — wards can be cold in one bay and stifling in another.
• Something to do during the long flat hours of the day.

Your ward mates

A ward can become a strange little temporary community very quickly. Everyone is having a rough time in their own way, and tiny bits of kindness can make an enormous difference.

Chat if people want to chat, and if you feel like it. Pass somebody their blanket or move their non-clinical belongings within reach if they ask. Keep your own calls, television and music considerate. If someone needs help moving, medication or anything clinical, get a member of staff rather than trying to do it yourself.

Ward camaraderie is unlike much else. Treat the person in the next bed the way you would hope someone would treat somebody you love.

What varies between hospitals

A lot of the detail depends on where you are. Visiting arrangements, what can be brought onto a ward, whether there is usable wifi, and what is available to buy on site all differ, and can change at short notice.

Rather than assuming, it is usually worth asking the ward directly before anybody makes a trip. One short phone call saves a wasted journey and an armful of things that have to go home again.