LH - Patient & Visitor Information - Important Information You Should Know

Important Information You Should Know

Advance Health Care Directive An advance health care directive (advance directive) allows you to state choices for your future medical care or name someone to make medical decisions for you in the event you become seriously ill and are unable to communicate your wishes. Types of advance directives include a living will, a health care power of attorney or a combination document. Main Line Health hospitals honor your right to make an advance directive. We are required by law to ask all adult patients whether they have an advance directive. If you have an advance directive, please share it with your doctor and bring a copy with you to the hospital so that your care providers may know your wishes.

Guide to Advance Health Care Directives
We hope our brochure, “Decide for Yourself – A Guide to Advance Health Care Directives”, will help you learn more about advance directives. Download Guide.
Sample Form
Download a sample advance health care directive form from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This sample form is provided for informational and educational purposes and is not intended as legal or medical advice. If you choose to use this form or make your own advance directive, you should consult with your physician and your attorney to be sure that your wishes are clearly stated and comply with the law. Download Sample Form.

For more information about advance directives, please ask your nurse or social worker or call the Department of Social Work at 610-645-2171.

Bioethics Committee
The Bioethics Committee is available to patients and family members to discuss bioethical issues that may arise in the course of care. The Bioethics Committee consists of physicians, nurses, a social worker, an administrator and clergy. To ensure your privacy, all Bioethics Committee business is kept strictly confidential. To arrange for a special meeting, ask your nurse, physician, social worker or case manager.

Organ Donation
Recent legislation requires hospitals to notify the Gift of Life Donor Program upon every impending death to determine a person's suitability as an organ and/or tissue donor. Sharing your wishes regarding organ and tissue donation with your family, and including your wishes in your Living Will, releases your family from making a difficult decision on your behalf. Our staff can assist you and your family with questions about organ and tissue donation. Our organization is a member of the Gift of Life Donor Program.

Patient Advocate/Patient Complaints
Our staff is available to help you and your family with questions or complaints concerning your stay and to explain hospital policies and procedures. Main Line Hospitals encourages you and your family to openly communicate with your physicians, nurses, and other caregivers to resolve your questions and concerns. The Hospital wants you and your family to feel comfortable raising questions, concerns, complaints, or issues. To assist you, you may contact the hospital's Patient Advocate ext. 2345.

If your questions, concerns, complaints, or issues are not addressed to your satisfaction through contacts with your physician, caregivers, or other staff, you may use the Hospital's Compliant/ Grievance Policy by contacting the Hospital's Quality Department by telephone or in writing. A copy of the Policy will promptly be provided to you upon your request.

Lankenau Hospital
Quality Improvement Department
100 W. Lancaster Avenue
Wynnewood, PA 19096
Phone: (610)645-6432
Fax:610) 645-2159

Chaplaincy Services
Because spiritual concerns are typically a part of illness or injury, the hospital interfaith chaplain and volunteers (clergy and lay of various faiths) are available to visit you and your family to help meet your needs. Contact the chaplain's office with requests regarding spiritual needs. You can expect a response within 24 hours or almost immediately in emergency situations. The hospital chaplain is supplemental to your own clergy. If you have need, the chaplain's office is able to contact clergy of your faith to visit and help with your concerns. Lankenau Hospital Chaplain's Office, ext. 2020.

An Interfaith Meditation room is located near the main entrance and open 24 hours a day.

Blood Bank
The blood used at the hospital for blood transfusions is provided by the American Red Cross and has been tested for hepatitis and the AIDS antibody. As a further assurance to you, our staff of Blood Bank technologists also performs extensive and exacting tests, including blood type matching, before any transfusion is administered. Although there is no hospital charge for blood, you will be charged a processing fee reflecting our costs for blood from the Red Cross.

Because maintaining an adequate blood supply is crucial, your relatives and friends are encouraged to donate to the Red Cross if they are able. For donation information, call the American Red Cross at 1-800-35-BLOOD or 1-800-26-BLOOD.

Body Substance Precautions
As part of our commitment to provide quality care, you will see our staff adheres to the Standard Precautions guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for infection control. You will see our healthcare professionals washing their hands and wearing gloves while providing direct patient care. When additional protection is needed, gowns and masks may also be worn. The practice of wearing gloves, gowns and masks is necessary to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious organisms (in blood, urine, feces, oral secretions, wound drainage, etc.) to patients and staff during patient care.

Patient Questionnaire
We constantly try to improve our services and to make each patient's stay as comfortable as possible.
If you receive a patient questionnaire in the mail following your stay, you can help by completing
it and mailing it to us in the postage-free envelope. We appreciate your comments.

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Contact Us
Lankenau Hospital 100 Lancaster Avenue Wynnewood, PA 19096 610-645-2000

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