Patient's Guide

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Vital Issues for Patients

Hand Washing
The Jeanes Hospital team takes great pride in the success of its Infection Control Program. However, we need your help to prevent the spread of infection. One of the most important aspects of infection prevention and control is hand washing. Studies have shown that hand washing may be the most important procedure that we can do to help prevent infections. Please wash your own hands just as you do at home and please feel free to encourage all persons who enter your room to wash their hands. We thank you for your cooperation in our efforts to make Jeanes as infection-free as possible.

No Smoking, Please
Jeanes is a smoke-free hospital. If your visitors or family members care to smoke, there are approved locations outside the hospital. They should look for the signs that indicate our approved smoking locations outside. For further information about these approved locations, please ask the attendant at the main information desk. Thank you for helping Jeanes maintain its smoke-free environment.

Organ and Tissue Donation
You or your next-of-kin may choose to donate your organs and tissues for transplantation. If you would like more information, please ask your nurse to contact the organ procurement nurse or the nursing director.

Advance Directives
You will be asked if you have prepared an Advance Directive, which is a document to help your family and physicians make decisions for your treatment in the event that you cannot. A pamphlet describing this option is available to you through the hospital. For more information about the Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, call Social Services at extension 4276 or Pastoral Care at extension 2036.

Pain Management
As a patient at Jeanes Hospital you can expect:

  • Information about pain and pain relief measures.

  • A concerned staff committed to pain prevention and management.

  • Health professionals who respond quickly to reports of pain.

  • That your reports of pain will be believed.

  • State-of-the-art pain management.

  • Dedicated pain relief specialists.

As a patient at Jeanes Hospital, we expect that you will:

  • Ask your doctor or nurse what to expect regarding pain and pain management.

  • Discuss pain relief options with your doctors and nurses.

  • Work with your doctor and nurse to develop a pain management plan.

  • Ask for pain relief when pain first begins.

  • Help your doctor and nurse assess your pain.

  • Tell your doctor or nurse if your pain is not relieved.

  • Tell your doctor or nurse about any worries you have about taking pain medications.

Help Us Care For You
As a patient, you play an active role in your treatment and in your comfort and convenience as well as that of others. We ask that you please:

  1. Cooperate with all hospital personnel who are caring for you, and ask questions if you do not understand their directions.

  2. Be considerate of other patients and encourage visitors to be considerate as well, particularly with regard to noise, use of television and number of guests.

  3. Be as accurate as possible when giving information for your medical history, for possible notification of relatives, and for use by the Business Office. Each question on the form is important.

  4. Be prompt in payment of hospital bills, providing necessary information for processing insurance claims and asking any questions about your bill.

  5. Abide by hospital rules and regulations and encourage visitors to do so.

  6. Help your physicians, nurses and allied medical personnel in their efforts to return you to health by following their instructions.

  7. Maintain the treatment recommended by your physician after you leave the hospital and notify your doctor of any unexpected changes.

Protective Services
Jeanes Hospital, through the Department of Social Services provides information regarding the access to protective services in the community for patients and families. These protective services may include guardianship, child and adult protective services, domestic violence advocates and ombudsman programs. Social Services is available to all patients and families and may be contacted directly within the hospital at extension 4276.

Ethics Consultation Services
Jeanes Hospital has an ethics committee chaired by a physician trained in medical ethics. The services of this committee are available to all patients and their families as well as staff, physicians and nurses as needs arise. Services include case consultation, policy development and education. Case consultations with the physician-ethicist or a small group from the ethics committee are available almost immediately when decisions need to be made quickly. To access any or all of these services, call the Medical Staff Services Department at extension 2112.

Pastoral Care Services
True to the Quaker tradition honoring "that which is of God within each person," our chaplains seek to support, comfort, encourage, and be a source of God's Presence to patients, family members, and hospital staff. They are here to assist you in drawing upon the solace of your own faith traditions and the strength of your own spiritual resources.

At various times throughout the year, interns in our Clinical Pastoral Education program augment our chaplaincy staff. Volunteer "listeners" and trained pastoral visitors are also vital members of our ministry team. Also, Jeanes welcomes with gratitude the many pastoral caregivers and clergy of all faith traditions who visit their hospitalized members and who are available to visit other patients who request their support.

Jeanes provides a quiet space for visitors in the Meditation Room, next to the Pastoral Care Office and across from the Gift Shop, in the main lobby area of the Patient Care Center. In the Meditation Room, visitors are also invited to share their concerns in our Prayer Request Book.

The Jeanes Pastoral Care Office is open between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you would like to see a chaplain, or if you would like us to help you arrange a visit with a clergyperson of your choice, please call our office at extension 2036.

Clinical Resource Management / Social Services
Illness and hospitalization can create questions regarding health care services both during your stay at Jeanes and after your discharge. Our clinical resource coordinators and social workers are available to you and your family to provide professional guidance and assistance through counseling and discharge planning. Available information includes referrals for home care, such as visiting nurses; for placement in nursing or rehabilitation facilities; and for services from community agencies such as the American Cancer Society and Philadelphia Corporation for Aging.

You can reach our Clinical Resource Management Department, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at extension 4276.

Make a Donation to Jeanes
If you wish to make a donation to Jeanes Hospital, there are many ways to show your generosity: memorial gifts to honor a loved one; pledges that can lead to a lovely recognition tile displayed in our lobby; or planned gifts, which include donations providing a life income or through a will, insurance policy or pooled income fund. For more information regarding a contribution to Jeanes Hospital, please call our Gifts Coordinator at 215-728-3254.

You can also contribute to Jeanes Hospital's success by becoming an Auxiliary member. Our Auxiliary hosts many fund-raisers every year, on behalf of the hospital, and they'd love to have you aboard! Call the Auxiliary office at 215-728-2282 for further information.

Volunteering at Jeanes
Jeanes offers many rewarding volunteering opportunities for adults and teenagers. Our volunteer program is flexible, and we try to match available volunteer positions with your personal interests. Volunteers receive a free meal in the hospital cafeteria, free parking and more. For further information, call 215-728-2131.

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