If you are being admitted to Emerson Hospital, here is some information to help ensure your experience is as smooth and comfortable as possible:
What to bring
You will need to bring only a few personal items such as bathrobe, slippers, pajamas (if you want to wear your own), toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries. A small amount of cash for newspapers, postage stamps and other miscellaneous items will be sufficient for your hospital stay. Please leave valuables or large amounts of money at home because Emerson Hospital cannot be responsible for any personal belongings or money left in your room.
For safety reasons, please do not bring any electrical appliances, such as DVD players, to the hospital. Battery-operated appliances, such as an MP3 player, are allowed. Laptop computers are permitted and wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) is available throughout the hospital.
We suggest you wear loose, comfortable clothing and low-heeled shoes, which you can change back into when you are ready to go home.
Admission for surgery
Because each patient and each operation are different, your physician has a specific plan for your surgery. You will have already received special instructions about food, medication, anesthesia other aspects of your procedure. Before surgery, you will have the opportunity to meet with your anesthesiologist who is an integral part of your care team.
After your operation, you will be taken to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), a special nursing unit for post-operative recovery. From the PACU, you may be taken to the Critical Care Unit, if you require closer, more intensive monitoring, or to your hospital room.
While you are in surgery and the PACU, your family and friends will be kept informed of your progress by the Emerson family liaison assigned to you. Family liaisons are staff dedicated to communicating with patients’ families and friends to keep them up to date while a patient is in surgery and recovery.
While You Are Here
When you are a patient at Emerson Hospital, our priority is to give you excellent medical care in a warm, caring and respectful environment. We care about your personal comfort and peace of mind, too, which is why we offer an array of services to help make your stay as pleasant as possible.
If you have any questions about your care, or need additional information about Emerson, please ask any member of our team.
Meals
The hospital offers nutritious meals through same-day ordering or room service.
- For same-day ordering, simply follow the instructions on the order form at your bedside. If you are on a special diet, the form will include only the types of foods you are allowed. Your meal will be delivered during regularly scheduled meal times.
- With our state-of-the-art room service ordering system, you can order meals at your convenience throughout the day. Just follow the instructions on the menu at your bedside; a customer service representative will take your meal order by phone (and provide alternative meal suggestions depending on your prescribed diet).
If you have any questions about your diet, a registered dietitian is available for a consult while you are here.
If you are a spouse/partner visiting on the maternity floor, or a parent caring for a child who is hospitalized, you are welcome to order a complimentary meal so you can dine with your loved one.
Telephone
You can make unlimited local calls, free of charge from the phone in your room. All non-local calls must be placed collect through the hospital operator. If you need assistance, just ask your nurse. You may also bring your personal mobile phone to the hospital.
Television
State-of-the-art flat-screen TVs are available in all patient rooms free of charge. A listing of stations is provided in your room.
Tobacco-free policy
Emerson Hospital is a completely smoke- and tobacco-free campus. This policy prohibits tobacco use—including chewing tobacco—in all areas of the campus, including inside vehicles parked on Emerson property. By going tobacco-free, we are signaling our belief in the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Hospitalists
Hospitalists are internal medicine physicians who specialize in the medical care of hospitalized patients. Emerson’s hospitalists are here twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Your hospitalist will see you every day that you are in the hospital, and is available throughout the day if you or a family member has a question. Your hospitalist will communicate directly with your primary care doctor about your treatment and progress, ensuring a smooth transition when you are discharged from the hospital.
Patient representatives
A patient representative’s role is to be your advocate, and represent your concerns and interests while you are hospitalized. They are trained volunteers who understand the resources and services available at Emerson and throughout the community, and demonstrate our commitment to caring for you beyond providing excellent medical and nursing care.
- Your patient representative is here to provide a dedicated channel through which you can get answers to questions you may have about your stay
- Patient representatives visit newly admitted patients on the nursing units every weekday morning
Chaplain/pastoral care
If you would like a chaplain to visit you while you are here, simply ask your nurse or patient representative, or call extension 3015. The chapel, located on the third floor of the hospital, is open 24 hours a day.
Dementia Buddies
Recognizing that patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease may experience additional confusion in a hospital setting, Emerson created a unique program called Dementia Buddies. Dementia Buddies are specially-trained volunteers who visit with patients during their stay in the hospital. They have soothing conversations, listen to music, reminisce and engage the patient with games to help ease their anxiety and so they know they are not alone.
The program was created by a multi-disciplinary team of Emerson clinicians in November 2019. It is designed to enhance the patient’s experience and care, and also benefits the loved one/caregiver. The Dementia Buddies program can offer caregivers a break to leave the hospital environment and take care of themselves or simply get a breath of fresh air knowing their loved one is engaged. The program was featured on Boston’s WCVB TV News.
