At the hospital you will likely play the role of patient advocate.  If you have legal authority (i.e.durable or health care power of attorney), then the hospital staff and doctors are legally required to honor your wishes, requests and orders.  If you do not you can still ask questions, note observations, request services and work with the staff to ensure that your loved one gets the best, most appropriate care possible. 

View yourself as an important member of his healthcare team.  This is one of the most crucial times for you in your role as caregiver.  You want to work closely with your patient’s healthcare team to ensure they understand and comply with your loved one’s wishes.  Once you arrive at the hospital and have provided staff with the information needed to admit or treat your loved one, you should:

1. Find out who will the “attending physician of record” is.  This is the person who will coordinate and oversee your loved one’s care, work with consulting physicians and specialists, and have responsibility for your patient’s treatment plan.
2. Get the phone numbers for the attending physician and make sure that he/she knows to contact you directly regarding your loved one’s care.
3. Keep a list of questions to ask your attending physician.  You never know when the doctor will come by the room to check on your loved one and when he/she does come it will be a short visit – typically less than 10 minutes.  The doctor relies on the hospital staff to inform him/her about your loved one’s condition and response to treatment.  He/she will then prescribe a course of action (i.e. labs, tests, procedures) and/or medication for your loved one.  Having a list of questions and observations ensures that you get the answers you need and that your doctor has information s/he needs.  If you need to leave the room, leave your list with the nurse.
4. Introduce yourself to the nursing staff; they will provide the majority of your loved ones’ hands-on care.  They should be able to answer many of your questions including about  medications, treatments or procedures prescribed for your loved one.  If they can’t, they can direct you to another clinician who can.  Nurses typically work “12 on and 12 off” meaning that they work 12-hour shifts (i.e. from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)  Shift change is a busy time for the nursing unit – this is when they need to pass on important patient information, doctors’ orders, etc. - so find out when the shift change is and try to wait until the nurse on duty has the information he/she needs to answer your questions. 
5. Get to know the hospital’s discharge planner or case manager.  It is their job to help with discharging your loved one and ensuring that you have any information you need before leaving the hospital.  S/he can provide information about local resources, referrals to other medical professionals, etc.  If your loved one is going to require skilled nursing care after discharge and is going to a nursing home or rehabilitation center, the discharge planner/case manager will assist you with that transition.  It is also his/her job to make sure that you have the information and equipment that you need to care for your loved one after discharge.