Here is a handy list of things to bring with you to make everyone’s time there more bearable.
Medication List
Prepare and maintain a list of medications, allergy information, and doctors’ contact information for everyone in your family. If you put together a “go bag” ahead of time, stow 2-3 printouts of this list for each family member. Include the dosage and times of day of medications, and also add over-the-counter meds and supplements. Although hospitals in the same network as your primary care physician ought to have electronic access to current prescriptions, having a printout will save the ER doc having to scroll around on their smartphones for the information.
Do not bring the actual medications unless your doctor or the hospital has told you differently. Hospitals generally won’t allow you to take your own medicine—they’ll supply you the same stuff that you’re prescribed.
Sweat Shirts and/or Throw Blankets
Somewhere, someone decided that ERs need to be cold enough to freeze ice cream (and patients and their families). Stash some comfy sweatshirts or blankets in the sizes that everyone wears, and you’ll keep your blood from freezing.
Something Minty
Bring a travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste or some minty chewing gum. After 5 or 6 hours stressed out in a hospital, your mouth is going to taste and smell as if a pigeon died in there.
Something to Keep Busy
If you’ve got a fluffy paperback or two, throw them in there. For kids, a storybook they haven’t read yet, one of those books with word puzzles, or even a pack of Wiki Stix will help pass the time.
Depending on how much pain or discomfort someone is in, they may or may not want to do anything except stare at whatever’s on the little TV in the top corner of most ER waiting rooms, but if they’re bored, this stuff will be a godsend.
A Little Cash
Depending on the time of day, your food supply may be limited to what you can get out of vending machines. The functionality may vary. Some vending machines accept credit or debit cards, and some claim to accept them but actually don’t work. Load up your go bag with some small bills (the crisper the better, because vending mechines don’t like wrinkled money) and a bunch of quarters.
Life Savers
Or some kind of hard candy. It helps if you get thirsty or whiny.
Phone Chargers
Bring a couple phone chargers with you so that you and your family can avoid the horror that “Low Power Mode” (or worse).
Do Not Bring Your Treasure
Make sure the patient isn’t wearing valuable jewelry. If they have to go into surgery, this stuff gets removed and it’s one more thing for the hospital staff to keep track of and possibly lose. I was once handed a pouch with “my family member’s possessions.” When I got home, I realized I had someone else’s stuff, including a diamond ring. I had to drive back to the hospital to return it, knowing all the while that the family who was missing their stuff was freaking out.
Leave Your Guilt Somewhere Else
If you’re the person accompanying someone to the ER, you’re presumably in a lot better shape than they are. The hospital’s job is to take care of them, not you. So don’t feel guilty if you’re trying to stay as comfortable and rested as possible. If you took a few extra minutes to change into sweatpants before following an ambulance, you’ll be better able to be present for your loved one. If you’re re-reading a dog-eared copy of Twilight while they’re clutching their stomach, this does not make you a monster. (Unless you read it out loud. Not everyone thinks werewolves are hot!)
