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Staying at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital
When you were admitted to the hospital, you or your family were probably asked a
number of questions. We confirmed your name and address, your health card
number, supplemental health insurance coverage, allergies and special dietary
needs. You now have a hospital identification bracelet that includes important
information. This band will be checked often during your stay.
Any charges you incur during your stay such as telephone, television or any
accommodations that are not covered by insurance, will be your financial
responsibility.
What You Will Need
- The hospital will supply a standard gown/pyjamas for you to wear. You are encouraged to bring your own sleepwear, underwear, bathrobe and slippers.
- If you wear glasses, contact lenses or a hearing aid, don't forget to bring them as well.
- You will need to bring personal care items such as shampoo, soap, toothbrush,toothpaste and mouthwash. These items are not supplied by the hospital; however, a limited selection of personal care items can be purchased in our Gift Shop, the Drug Store or from the Tuck Wagon.
- Please bring your Ontario Health card, HHS or OTMH hospital card and proof of semi-private or private insurance coverage.
- Medication is usually supplied by the hospital. It may be helpful, however, to bring your own medications to the hospital along with a complete list of all the medications you are taking including the names, dosages and directions for use. After reviewing these, the hospital staff will probably send your medications home. Occasionally, however, you may be asked to use one of your own medications if it is not available in the hospital.
- You may wish to bring a small amount of pocket money for purchasing items at the gift shop such as newspapers, stamps or stationery.
The hospital is not responsible for any of your personal items while you are a patient.
What To Leave At Home
Your Valuables
Please leave your valuables, such as jewellery and large amounts of money at home.
The hospital is not responsible for them while you are here.
Cellular Phones, Electrical Appliances, Etc.
Hospitals contain sensitive patient monitoring equipment that may be affected by many communication devices like cell phones or walkie talkies. These devices may interfere with hospital equipment and thus with the comfort of other patients. In addition, appliances which are not in good working order may present a fire hazard or an electrical hazard.
The use of the following are permitted in limited areas throughout the hospital:
- Cellular phones, two-way radios, two-way interactive pagers and Blackberries may be used in some areas of the hospital. Please watch for signs. Cellular phones and other wireless devices are not allowed to be used in clinical areas including inpatient units, please turn these devices off (not just on standby) before entering these areas.
The use of the following are not permitted in the hospital:
- Heating devices of any type, such as heating pads or portable heaters
- Cooling devices such as electrical fans
- Extension cords or power bars
- Televisions, VCRs and DVD players
Please note that laptop computers are permitted on battery only.
All electrical equipment must be checked by our Biomedical Engineering
Department to ensure that they are in good working order.
Your Room
While every effort will be made to honour your request for a private or semi-private
room, our ability to do so will depend on the availability of rooms and the
requirements of the entire patient unit. Call extension 4664 for accommodations
inquiries on the Maternal Child Unit. For all other accommodation inquiries, please call the Accommodation Office at extension 4672.
Standard Ward
The standard patient room at OTMH has four beds. The cost of this room is generally covered by provincial health insurance plans such as OHIP. Patients who are not covered by provincial health insurance plans, are not residents of Canada or are admitted to a self-pay procedure, will be required to pay for their visit.
Private and Semi-Private Rooms
These patient rooms have one (private) or two (semi-private) beds. Since these
rooms are not covered by OHIP, there is normally an extra charge. Many patients
have additional health insurance coverage, which may cover the cost of the room
upgrade.
It is a good idea to check your insurance coverage before coming to the hospital.
If you do not have additional coverage under your supplemental
insurance plan, and you request a private or semi-private room, you will
be responsible for the extra charge.
Additional Charges
Provincial Health Insurance Plans do not cover uninsured services, including but
not limited to semi-private or private rooms, telephone, or items such as crutches,
aerochambers, or fiberglass casts. These will now be the responsibility of the patient.
Calling Your Nurse
There is a call button on a cord at your bedside. By pressing the button you alert
the nursing station that you need assistance. A staff member will respond to your
signal as soon as possible. Strange surroundings and sleeping medications may
create hazards if you get out of bed during the night. Please use your button and
call for assistance.
Safety
To keep you safe during your stay, please:
- Wear shoes or slippers with non-slip soles.
- Do not step on the foot rack of the wheelchair when getting in or out. All wheelchairs have brakes which should be on whenever the chair is not moving.
- Ask for help. Do not use overbed tables, beds, and bedside tables for support.
- Please do not use electrical appliances when oxygen is being administered.
Care Paths
For some diagnoses and services, our Care teams have developed what we call "care paths". These care paths are based on the best medical practice known. They clearly describe the essential activities and treatments your doctor wants for you during your hospital stay. These guidelines are called "paths" because they outline the patient's journey or path through their stay in hospital from admission to discharge and home.
For most of these care paths, we have developed patient "pathways" for you and
your family. These outline what you can expect during your stay and include
information about your condition, what to do after discharge, and other tips about caring for yourself. A staff member will review the pathway every day with
you. When you are admitted, ask if there is a pathway for you to see.
Your Meals
Wholesome and well-balanced meals are an important part of your treatment and recovery. The food services team at HHS makes every effort to provide nutritious
meals that are prepared according to your special needs.
Meals are served:
Breakfast 7:30 am to 8:30 am
Lunch 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Dinner 4:15 pm to 5:15 pm
Occasionally, your meals may be delayed if you are scheduled for a special test or
treatment. Whenever possible, you will be served your meal when you return to
your room. A menu, from which you can order your meals for the next day, will come with your breakfast tray. Please mark your selections and have the menu ready for pick-up by 10:00 am. Your menu may be pre-selected for you if you are on a special diet. If a family member or friend wants to eat in your room with you, they may purchase a meal in the cafeteria and bring it back to your room.
Telephones
For your convenience, telephone service is provided to you at a nominal fee. The
telephone is at your bedside and you are responsible for paying for this service.
Local calls may be made at anytime by dialing "9", followed by the area code and then the telephone number. All long distance calls must be charged to your calling
card, home number, or placed as a collect call by dialing "9" and then "0" for the
Bell Operator.
- Callers can be connected directly to your room by calling the main hospital number, 905-845-2571, and entering your extension. Your phone is connected to a wall jack which has the extension labeled, or you can call switchboard (0) and an operator will tell you your phone extension. In consideration of other patients please ask your family and friends to restrict their calls to the hours between 9:00 am and 10:00 pm.
- Patients who have dial-up internet access through local Internet Service Providers can use telephone lines in patient rooms to access the internet.
- There are direct phone lines for taxi service at the front doors of the hospital and in the Emergency Department.
- Pay telephones are conveniently located throughout the hospital.
Television
Television rentals are provided by Hospitality Network, a private television service.
Their staff are at the hospital 7 days a week (excluding statutory holidays) between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. If you wish to rent the television located at your bedside, you can activate it at any time by plugging in the headset and following the on-screen instructions. A representative from Hospitality Network will visit to
arrange payment. If you have questions about the service or do not have a
television at your bed, you can complete an order form (located at each nursing
station) and place it in the secure box provided. You can also leave a message at
extension 4102 to request assistance from Hospitality Network staff. Closed
captioning services are available on request.
Tuck Wagon
You may want to keep a small amount of change with you during your stay at the Hospital as the Auxiliary operates a Tuck Wagon that visits each floor on
weekdays with items from the Treasure Cove Gift Shop. Items for sale include magazines, newspapers, toiletries, snack food, non-alcoholic beverages, and other comfort items. All proceeds are donated to the Hospital.
Visitor and Patient Inquiries
Your family is concerned about your care. Please assign
a family member to be the main contact who communicates with the patient care
unit. Information about your health is not released to anyone other than a family
member, unless specifically requested by you.
Patient Information
Should you have any concerns during your hospital stay, please speak with your
nurse, the nurse in-charge of your patient unit, or the Patient Care Manager.
Patient room numbers, telephone extensions and directions to patient rooms are
provided at the Information Desk in the Main Lobby. You can reach the Information Desk by calling 905-845-2571 extension 4637. A volunteer is available to provide assistance
from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Electronic Documentation - TED
Our staff at both sites now do their patient charting using TED - Travelling
Electronic Documentation - which means most chart documentation for hospital
inpatients is now completed electronically on a computer. As a patient at one of our Hospitals, you will notice that your healthcare team will use computers to capture all of your vital information, including details such as your medical history, blood pressure, and medication list. Any healthcare worker responsible for charting -allied healthcare, rehabilitation, and nursing staff - is now using mobile carts with computers on them. With the information being captured electronically, it will be much easier to recall your medical history the next time you're in the Hospital. The nurse and other staff will simply confirm the details from your previous admission, and make any changes to your chart.
Compared to the old paper-based charts, the electronic chart created with TED can be reviewed and updated at any computer in the hospital, so physicians and other healthcare staff involved in your care can collaborate more effectively to monitor your progress. This translates into safer and more efficient care for the patient.
The TED project is part of an overall strategy that will allow Halton Healthcare to
respond more readily to changes in technology and care procedures for their
patients. More accurate and integrated health information makes it easier for
members of the healthcare team to provide you and your family with the care and
treatment needed.
In the future, with your permission, it will be possible to transfer your electronic
record to other hospitals where you might receive treatment. This provides more
timely information for all members of the healthcare team and may mean that some tests or procedures will not have to be repeated.
Protecting Your Privacy
We respect your privacy. Halton Healthcare Services considers all
healthcare information that can be linked to an identifiable person as confidential.
Clinical information collected in support of the treatment you receive at the HHS
Hospitals will only be disclosed to authorized individuals who are involved in
providing your care.
Designated individuals who reside within a "circle of care" and require access to your clinical information to deliver treatment
may include:
- all physicians involved in your care
- nurses and allied health professionals (i.e. dietitians, physiotherapists, discharge planners).
- technologists in diagnostic departments (i.e. laboratory, radiology, cardiology)
- clerical/administrative staff responsible for capturing, coding, filing, retrieving and otherwise managing medical records
Our Safeguards
Maintaining the confidentiality of your information is very important to us. We use
a combination of physical, procedural and technology-based safeguards to ensure
your health information can only be accessed by authorized people. Our
Information Systems Department is continually updating our systems to ensure
the most modern security technologies are in place to preserve the confidentiality
of all patient information.
Release of Non-Clinical Information
Outside the "circle of care" non-clinical information about your visit (i.e. your
name, address and location within the hospital) may be released in order to:
- assist visiting family and friends to locate you
- conduct fundraising campaigns through the hospital's respective fundraising foundations
- conduct patient satisfaction surveys which allow us to monitor and improve the quality of our services
If you wish to be excluded from fundraising initiatives or satisfaction
surveys, please notify the clerical staff when you register to ensure you are not
included on mailing lists created for these purposes.
If you wish your presence at our hospitals to be concealed, please notify the
clerical staff when you register to ensure only those within the "circle of care" will
be aware that you are receiving treatment.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the HHS Privacy Officer,
Marci MacDonald, by calling extension 6711.
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