Learn what to expect about your stay at Pennsylvania Hospital, including how to plan for your stay, services available during your stay, and the discharge process.
Preparing for Your Stay
Family Members
Patients are asked to define their family and explain how they will be involved in patient care, care planning and decision making. Patients should plan to keep their family informed about their care — they are advised to identify one person who can communicate with family members. Patients should share their plan with Pennsylvania Hospital staff.
Support Person(s) Identification
Patients are asked to identify their support person(s) whose presence will provide emotional support, comfort and help alleviate fears. With patient permission, this person may stay throughout the inpatient stay, participate in planning for care and discharge and provide support by learning new information.
Clinical rounds, patient education sessions and discharge planning will accommodate having the support person(s) present. The support person(s) may be present throughout the stay unless their presence infringes on others' rights, safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated.
Patient Medication
Patient medication history is very important. Doctors and nurses will ask repeatedly about medications taken at home. Medications taken while in the hospital are prescribed specifically for the hospital stay. Some may be new or different compared to a patient's medication history. A hospital pharmacist reviews all medications and dispenses them. The nurse explains them and gives them to patients. Always ask about the medications you are given before taking them. Patients should never take medication from home without discussing this with the doctor or nurse first. If the doctor wants a patient to take their medication from home, a pharmacist will make sure it does not interfere with the other medications they are taking.
What to Bring for Your Hospital Stay
Please bring only necessary items. Patients may be moved to different care areas during their hospital stay. Labeling all personal items helps to keep track of them. At times, the nursing staff may need to do an inventory of patient belongings. Please do not bring valuables such as jewelry and electronics. Pennsylvania Hospital is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.
Important items to bring:
- Photo identification
- Health insurance information
- Copy of any advance directive, durable power of attorney and living will documents
- List of medications with doses and frequency
- List of doctors and relatives with phone numbers and email addresses
- Robe, slippers and toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)
- Eyeglasses, hearing aids and/or dentures, as well as cases labeled with full name
- Cane and/or walker (labeled with full name)
- Medical equipment, if absolutely necessary (labeled with full name)
Valuables or Lost Items
The hospital maintains a safe and secure environment, but we strongly recommend that you send your valuables home with a family member or friend. Please notify your nurse if you need to secure personal items with the security department. Pennsylvania Hospital is not responsible for personal belongings or valuables that are not secured with the security department.
Lost and found items are accepted and stored in the Security Operations Center. Reasonable effort is made to contact owners of lost property and return identifiable items. Employees, patients and visitors can call PAH Security at 215-829-3434 Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm. At other times, call the 215-829-3000 and ask the hospital telephone operator to contact the Security Supervisor on duty. For more information, call 215-829-5737.
Services and Assistance
Nursing Assistance
Penn Medicine's professional registered nurses (RNs) plan and coordinate your care with you, your physicians and other members of the health care team. They provide treatments, administer medications and intravenous (IV) fluids, and teach you about your health and taking care of yourself after your discharge from the hospital. The nurses are assisted by certified nursing assistants and technicians who help you with your personal hygiene and meals.
Pennsylvania Hospital is recognized as a Magnet hospital. Magnet is a prestigious designation bestowed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for excellence in nursing care.
Pain Management Request
As a patient of this hospital, you are responsible for expressing your expectations regarding pain and pain management and discussing pain relief options with your doctors and nurses. Ask for pain relief when your pain first begins and tell your doctor or nurse if your pain is not relieved.
Room Comfort
Please inform your nurse or call the Office of Patient and Guest Relations at 215-829-8777 or extension 8777 from an in-house phone if any aspect of your room is uncomfortable. Maintenance will be notified and make every effort to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Safety and Security
Security personnel create a safe environment for patients, visitors and employees. You will see security personnel in uniform throughout the hospital. If you need security assistance, contact your head nurse.
All hospital staff and volunteers are required to wear an identification badge with their photograph, name and department clearly printed on it. Please do not hesitate to ask to see a badge if you do not see one on a person involved with your care.
Upon request, security officers will escort visitors within a two-block radius of the hospital, including all hospital parking lots. Beyond the two-block area, a "Walk 'N Watch" service is provided: an officer will walk visitors to the boundary and observe as they continue to their destination.
To request an escort, call 215-829-8090. Please allow five to ten minutes for an officer to arrive.
Discharge at Pennsylvania Hospital
Your care team will provide you instructions about post hospital care including your diet, activities or other matters. Your entire care team will work with you to support your transition out of the hospital.
Planning for discharge begins when patients are admitted to the hospital. Throughout the hospital stay, the staff will work with patients, their support person(s) and their family to assess patient needs and identify resources to meet these needs.
Patients may meet with a social worker or clinical resource coordinator who will discuss options for discharge, recommend a plan and coordinate the arrangements. Social workers and clinical resource coordinators are part of the interdisciplinary care team. Social workers can link patients to community resources, such as skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, that meet health-related needs or concerns. They can help patients and families cope with illness or injury during their stay and provide referrals to agencies at discharge. Clinical resource coordinators work with patients and families to arrange home care such as home nursing care and home medical equipment.
As you prepare to leave, please re-check your room to make sure you have all valuables and personal items.