In this video, I share 12 things I experienced when my dad was hospitalized with COVID to help you better prepare.
1. Find a preferred hospital that takes their health insurance. I took my dad to his preferred hospital only for us to learn that they didn’t take his health insurance, so they had to transfer him to another hospital in another city. Not a pleasant experience for someone who was already feeling extremely ill.
2. Have all of their paperwork and key information ready so that you can check them into the hospital. This includes health insurance, work contact info, and primary care doctor contact info.
3. He had no appetite when he was most ill and would only drink limited liquids each day. I brought him green juice, bone broth, and honey lemon water.
4. When he was able to eat, the doctor wanted him on a low fat low sodium diet. I brought him Golden Milk oats with honey and blueberries, bone broth rice with cilantro, and fresh berries.
5. He was so tired he only wanted to sleep, but sleeping was hard in the room because he had a roommate and was often woken up when something would happen with the roommate. I brought him an eye mask and ear plugs.
6. He was too sick to talk. Talking made him cough more. He only wanted to send text messages. He wears glasses, so had to take them off and on constantly to read text messages, something hard to do for him when he was extremely weak. I wish I had increased the font size on his phone so he could read text messages without his glasses.
7. Since no visitors were allowed, the only way to be in contact with him was through the telephone. I brought him an iPhone charger with a very long cord so it could reach his hospital bed.
8. When bringing a care package to your loved one, bring care packages to the hospital staff as well. It’s not much extra effort and they need help, too!
9. Hospitals are extremely short staffed so expect long wait times. At the second hospital he was at, he waited 6 hours until a doctor was able to see him.
10. COVID test results have discrepancies. At the first hospital, they told him he didn’t have COVID. At the second hospital, they told him he did have COVID.
11. Hospitals don’t allow visitors right now, so I have to call the hospital regularly to get updates on how my dad is doing. They do not call me to give me updates.
12. Because he was so sick he couldn’t speak, having conversations wasn’t possible. It made me think about how quickly things happen and how important it is, before a parent gets COVID, to tell them anything that might bring them peace and ask them anything you’ve always wanted to know. If you have a parent who is well, in addition to gathering the things above, call them and have this conversation with them today.