Patients and Family Rights & Responsibilities
We will try our very best to:
- Listen to you and your parents.
- Tell you and your parents the truth.
- Tell you:
- Who we are
- What we do at the hospital
- Why we have come into your room
- Why you are here
- What we think will help you
- Try to explain all these things in ways you can understand.
- Work with you and your parents to help us decide the best ways to take care of you.
- Make you feel relaxed and comfortable so you can talk to us about anything.
- Help you to tell us what you want or do not want, if you are afraid, angry, lonely or sad. It is ok to laugh and to cry.
- Care for you no matter:
- What color your skin is
- What church/temple you may go to
- If you are a boy or a girl
- Where you were born
- What you can and cannot do
- What you look like.
- Work with you and your parents to solve the problem. If you think we have not met your needs, tell your doctor, nurse or ask someone to call Patient Relations.
- Keep you safe while you are here.
- Be as gentle as possible when we have to touch you. We will keep your body covered up as much as possible.
- Do what we can to help you feel better if you hurt.
- Let you celebrate and observe your special traditions.
- Let family and friends be with you when the hospital rules say it is ok. If you don't want visitors, we will help you control and limit their visits.
- Let you know when your parents can take you home.
- Help you and your parents learn how to take care of you after you leave the hospital.
- Help you and your parents find another hospital or have another doctor see you if you wish. We will help you figure out how to do this safely.
- Help you understand what we wrote about you in your medical history book, if you want to read it.
- Let you and your parents say yes or no if we ask you to be part of an experiment or research.
- Make sure you have places and times to play and learn.
Patient Responsibilities
To help meet your needs as we care for you, please...
- Be honest with us about:
- Your health and what your health was like before now
- Any changes that you or your parents notice about how you are feeling
- Any medicines you take
- Your family's needs or worries
- Any special needs you or your family may have.
- Help in your care by:
- Telling us your ideas about how we are taking care of you
- Following the directions of your doctors, nurses and other people taking care of you
- Letting us know when you cannot follow our directions
- Learning what you can do to take care of yourself
- Keeping your appointments, being on time and letting us know if you must change your appointment
- Telling us if you don't understand something.
- Follow the hospital rules by:
- Respecting other people at the hospital
- Taking care of hospital property and supplies
- Using only the medications your doctors say you should use
- Taking financial responsibility for the hospital bill
- Have only a few people visit at the same time
- Have your visitors come during visiting hours
- Keeping the volume of your TV, radio or compact disc player, and video games at a level that will not bother others
- Leaving your valuables at home.
- Ask us questions about:
- The papers you or your parents are being asked to sign
- Any words we use that you do not understand
- Why you are here and what we are doing for you
- How we can ease your pain
- How to get where you want to go in the hospital.
This is a summarized version of the Patients Rights and Responsibilities policy for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. For the complete and detailed policy, please contact the Patient Relations department.
|