Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital Services | Prepare for a Stay
Prepare for a Bryn Mawr Hospital stay
We want to make sure you have as smooth a transition as possible when you begin rehab therapy. Part of making sure that happens is letting you know what to expect before you arrive. Here are some tips to make sure the move from an acute care hospital to Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital is seamless.
Patient/family checklist
Here’s what to keep in mind as you begin to plan your stay:
- Have you told your employer you’re hospitalized? And has your employer been contacted to determine whether you will have insurance coverage for the duration of your stay?
- Do you have a primary care physician? If not, consider getting one immediately for your after-care needs. If you’re not sure how to get a primary care physician, contact your care manager.
- Tell your rehab physician, your nurse or the unit coordinator about any follow-up appointments you may have.
- Make sure you receive copies of all of your MRIs and/or CAT scans done during your stay upon discharge from Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital. The films are your property.
- Tell your care manager if there are any changes to your insurance benefits as soon as you become aware.
- Alert your care manager to any special needs, concerns about insurance or discharge planning needs.
What to bring
Recovery at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital is an active process. Your rehabilitation program focuses on therapy and includes exercise and mobility training. Therefore, you’ll wear your own clothing during your stay. It’s important for you to wear comfortable clothing—sweat suits and exercise clothes are good options to let you move with ease. Please mark your clothes with your name in case they’re misplaced.
To make your stay as comfortable as possible, you should bring:
- A list of the current medication you’re taking, as well as any special assistive devices or equipment, including artificial limbs, splints, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures
- Toiletries, cosmetics, shaving supplies
- Underwear and socks
- Pajamas, bathrobe and bedroom slippers
- Comfortable exercise clothes
- A pair of sneakers or other low-heeled, rubber-soled shoes
- Clothes for non-therapy hours (including warmer clothes to layer)
- Small amount of cash for purchases (newspapers, beauty salon services, gift shop items)
You should consult Bryn Mawr Rehab staff before bringing hair dryers or any sharp objects into the hospital—including razors, scissors or nail clippers.
Please don’t bring any medications (prescription, over-the-counter or illegal drugs) to Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital. All medication you take while a patient at the hospital have been prescribed by your physician, are dispensed by the hospital pharmacy and administered by a trained professional. You’re not permitted to administer you own medication or to keep personal medications unless approved by your physician.
If you’re concerned that you’re not receiving medication you regularly take at home, please speak with your nurse or physician.
During your stay
Your room assignment
Your room assignment at our hospital is based upon your admitting diagnosis and the bed availability on the day of your admission. Private (single bed) and semi-private (two beds) rooms are available.
Patient meals
Nourishing, well-balanced meals are an important part of your rehabilitation. We make every effort to provide nutritious meals that are prepared according to your individual dietary needs.
Meals are served three times daily. Breakfast is served in your room. A menu will be provided to order your meals for the next day. Please mark your menu so it will be ready for pickup. If you’re on a special diet prescribed by your doctor, you’ll receive menus tailored to your specific needs. If you have difficulty selecting from the menu, a member of our dietary staff will be happy to help you. For assistance, you can call 484.596.5496.
Housekeeping services
Patient rooms are cleaned and sanitized daily by our Environmental Services staff. In addition, every effort is made to make sure you’re comfortable and that everything in your room is in proper working order. If you experience any problems with your room or the fixtures inside (e.g., lights, TV, shower, air-conditioner, bed), please contact Environmental Services at 484.596.5470.
Laundry
A washer and dryer, along with detergent, are available to each unit for use during your stay. Please label all of your clothing in case it’s misplaced.
Calling your nurse for assistance
A button to call your nurse is located at your bedside and in your bathroom. The button alerts the nursing station that assistance is needed and a staff member will respond to your signal as soon as possible.
Condition H
Main Line Health is dedicated to making our hospitals the safest place for patients to receive care. As a result, we’ve created a Condition H line—the “H” stands for help—for patients, family or visitors to call for immediate medical help. For more information on Condition H, please speak with your care manager.
Preparing for discharge
Staff from our care management department will work with you and the hospital team to coordinate services for your post-hospital care. Call the care coordination department at 484.596.5510.
Going home
When your doctor feels that you’re ready to leave the hospital, they’ll authorize a hospital discharge. Please speak with your nurse about our discharge procedures.
Here are a few tips to make the discharge process run smoothly:
- Be sure you and/or your caregiver have spoken with a care coordinator and that you understand what services you may need after leaving the hospital.
- Verify your discharge date and time with your nurse or doctor. Please plan to be picked up by 9:30 am to give us a chance to prepare your room for the next patient. If you cannot leave by this time, notify your care manager so alternate arrangements can be made.
- If you’re being discharged by ambulance, please limit the number of bags to two.
- Retrieve any valuables you have stored in the hospital safe.
- Make sure you or your caregiver has all necessary paperwork for billing, referrals, prescriptions, etc.
- Leave a forwarding address in the event you are not returning to the address given at the time of your admission.
Adaptive equipment
One of the goals of rehab therapy is to prescribe proper adaptive equipment. This process will begin upon admission so you’ll have everything you need in time for your discharge. Members of the treatment team will evaluate your needs and help identify your adaptive equipment requirements. Your therapist may recom