Visiting a Relative or Friend in Hospital?

5 Basic Ethics to Keep

in Mind.

Family caregivers make a major contribution in healing the health and quality of life of more than 30
million individuals with acute and chronic illness. Physician recognition of the value of the caregiver role
may contribute to a positive care giving experience and decrease rates of patient hospitalization and
institutionalization. However During the visit to a hospital whether you’re loved one, closest, friend or
any relative is admitted there are certain ethics that should be followed to give a good and healthy
impression on patient. In most of the cases it’s difficult for a visitor what to say, how to react on the
illness as a result some of the visitors make common mistakes that not only disturbs the patient but also
the staff and other patients, While it is good to provide moral support to your ailing loved ones, here are
a few things that should be kept in mind to make sure you do not cross any ethical boundaries:

1-Call Ahead:

A hospital is not a hotel before you visit the hospital, you should check with the nursing staff or reception
to see when visiting hours are at that facility or call the patient you are planning on visiting or their
guardian to know when or if they are willing to receive any visitors. Most hospitals have evening hours
to accommodate working visitors, but some hospitals or even some specialized departments or floors,
such as the intensive care unit, may have restrictive schedules

2-Do Not Go Empty-Handed:

If any of the patient find that his or her closest one is visiting him or her in the hospital it cheers patient.
So it is always advised even norms in certain cultures to take some gift for the patient science also proves
that a gift whether it’s a small one will helps in increasing the health and energy of the patient. So as a
ethical point it is recommended to Carry something however small it may be. Think of the power of small
gifts. • A Rose flower to win a lover • A telephone call that wins forgiveness. • A handshake that wins
friendship• An Olive leaf that stops a war. Consider giving books, puzzles, board games or anything else
that the patient might enjoy.

3-Keep Your Opinions to Yourself:

When a closest one or a friend is admitted in the hospital, it can often cheer her up to see that you are
willing to take time out of your day to stop by for a visit. But before you go to the hospital brush up on
the rules of the etiquette one of them is to avoid your advice to identify the patient unless you are a
doctor, It is also not good to tell the patient how bad his or her condition is or stop passing any negative
comments especially in front of patient.

4-Refrain from Telling Horror Stories:

It is one of the common fact that while visiting the patient people after getting the words of doctor or
hearing about the patient reports or symptoms start telling different horror stories that even they
haven’t proved, as these may cause negative effect and might be some patient conceive them very
serious this may cause their problem to lengthen.

5-Do Not Overstay Your Welcome:

Regardless to the closeness or relation with the patient try to limit your visit in the hospital, on standard
it should be not more than 15-20 minutes due to several reasons one of them is the administered
medications typically contain sedatives that make the patient drowsy and long stay will disturb patient
sleep or make him or her restless.