WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.160 Welcome to the Lightkeepers podcast. I'm Clayton 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:05.900 Vandiver, your lightkeeper with the show dedicated 00:00:05.900 --> 00:00:08.759 to everyone who wants to get the most quality 00:00:08.759 --> 00:00:11.580 out of life that they can. We don't talk about 00:00:11.580 --> 00:00:15.199 the end of life here. We focus mainly on the 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:19.000 quality of those days getting there. My co -host, 00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:22.480 as always, Charlene, our licensed clinical social 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:25.239 worker certified in the state of Florida, and 00:00:25.239 --> 00:00:28.260 we invite you all to join us in this conversation 00:00:28.260 --> 00:00:32.539 this week. about the typical hospital stay from 00:00:32.539 --> 00:00:36.140 start to finish on this episode of the Lightkeepers 00:00:36.140 --> 00:01:06.469 podcast. Hey, before we start, I'd like to invite 00:01:06.469 --> 00:01:08.370 you to please leave your questions or comments 00:01:08.370 --> 00:01:12.030 below and please join the conversation. Questions 00:01:12.030 --> 00:01:14.129 this week will be answered during our next show 00:01:14.129 --> 00:01:17.549 that appears online every Wednesday evening at 00:01:17.549 --> 00:01:21.310 7 p .m. Eastern. Well, when do family members 00:01:21.310 --> 00:01:25.489 typically get information from some of these 00:01:25.489 --> 00:01:27.569 players in the hospital, some of these behind 00:01:27.569 --> 00:01:30.890 -the -scenes folks that you may never even meet? 00:01:31.310 --> 00:01:33.810 Will family members get information from them? 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:39.060 Hopefully. So there again, this depends on how 00:01:39.060 --> 00:01:42.939 the hospital admission starts. If you bring yourself 00:01:42.939 --> 00:01:45.280 to the hospital or if you're alert when you come 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:48.420 into the hospital, the first thing that they're 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:51.260 going to ask you once they get past your medical 00:01:51.260 --> 00:01:54.319 history and current situation is, who can we 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:58.599 call? And that's not just because they want... 00:01:58.569 --> 00:02:01.689 you to have someone there with you, but that's 00:02:01.689 --> 00:02:04.790 also because that's someone who can make decisions 00:02:04.790 --> 00:02:07.450 for you if something happens and you're not able 00:02:07.450 --> 00:02:09.590 to make them for yourself. That's a very good 00:02:09.590 --> 00:02:12.370 point. And I've heard you tell me on many occasions 00:02:12.370 --> 00:02:15.969 that it is best to have a family member or some 00:02:15.969 --> 00:02:19.330 caregiver, someone that you trust with you in 00:02:19.330 --> 00:02:22.789 the hospital at all times. Absolutely. Medical 00:02:22.789 --> 00:02:27.330 professionals are wonderful people, speaking 00:02:27.330 --> 00:02:30.389 as a medical professional, but we're also human. 00:02:30.889 --> 00:02:33.530 And mistakes can happen, especially if you have 00:02:33.530 --> 00:02:39.969 someone with an allergy. You know, doctors, not 00:02:39.969 --> 00:02:42.430 to play into the stereotypes here, but doctors 00:02:42.430 --> 00:02:44.490 don't always read charts, they don't always have 00:02:44.490 --> 00:02:47.349 time to, especially if it's someone needing urgent 00:02:47.349 --> 00:02:48.969 care, they're gonna come in and they're gonna 00:02:48.969 --> 00:02:50.909 triage the situation, which means they're gonna 00:02:50.909 --> 00:02:54.080 treat it as it presents. And if you have someone 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:58.099 with an allergy, if you have someone with a pre 00:02:58.099 --> 00:03:00.659 -existing situation that the medical team needs 00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:05.800 to be aware of, you're most likely going to be 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:09.699 better off if you have someone with you. The 00:03:09.699 --> 00:03:12.680 medical setting is no different than any other 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:15.400 setting where you have someone who is vulnerable 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:18.240 and that is that it's always best to have someone 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:20.939 there to advocate for you just in case. Well 00:03:20.939 --> 00:03:23.159 that sort of plays into a few weeks ago we were 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:26.879 talking about DNR, do not resuscitate, and how 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:31.680 sometimes when in the heat of the moment or if 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:33.539 you're non -responsive there's no one there to 00:03:33.539 --> 00:03:35.800 tell them that you have one, they may not know. 00:03:35.930 --> 00:03:38.889 and you may get resuscitated. Absolutely. The 00:03:38.889 --> 00:03:41.849 medical professional's first and foremost thought 00:03:41.849 --> 00:03:46.530 is going to be to serve and preserve. Okay, so 00:03:46.530 --> 00:03:48.590 they're going to treat and they're going to do 00:03:48.590 --> 00:03:51.030 everything they can to keep you to keep someone 00:03:51.030 --> 00:03:55.789 alive now if that someone is Maybe not wanting 00:03:55.789 --> 00:03:58.250 that care. Maybe they don't want to be kept alive 00:03:58.250 --> 00:04:01.930 Maybe they're you know coming to the end of a 00:04:01.930 --> 00:04:05.370 long illness and they don't want that to be prolonged 00:04:05.370 --> 00:04:09.500 then there's no one there to tell that medical 00:04:09.500 --> 00:04:12.240 professional. If they don't have time to read 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:14.460 the chart, they're not gonna know that there 00:04:14.460 --> 00:04:17.500 may be documents already in place talking about 00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:20.300 the level of care that you want. Absolutely. 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:23.740 Well, you know, I've noticed that time seems 00:04:23.740 --> 00:04:26.040 to stand still when you're in a hospital, in 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:28.860 my experience. Whether you're a visitor or a 00:04:28.860 --> 00:04:32.060 patient, have you had that happen? Why does that 00:04:32.060 --> 00:04:36.040 happen? So, have you ever seen a clock In an 00:04:36.040 --> 00:04:39.079 emergency room? Come to think of it, I haven't. 00:04:39.379 --> 00:04:41.939 No. A lot of emergency rooms don't have clocks. 00:04:42.579 --> 00:04:45.139 And there's multiple reasons for that. Sometimes 00:04:45.139 --> 00:04:47.920 it's just an oversight. You know, the hospital 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:49.899 didn't think to put one there. Maybe they do 00:04:49.899 --> 00:04:52.420 have one and you just can't see it from where 00:04:52.420 --> 00:04:58.079 you are in the room. But. time does seem to stand 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:01.620 still in a hospital and a lot of the times that's 00:05:01.620 --> 00:05:04.019 because when someone is in the hospital it's 00:05:04.019 --> 00:05:10.800 a very stressful situation and time passes differently 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:15.439 when you're not having fun and a moment can seem 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:18.579 to last a lifetime. That is true. Now as a counselor, 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:21.540 what can be done to sort of pass the time or 00:05:21.540 --> 00:05:25.189 to help that situation? So if you are a family 00:05:25.189 --> 00:05:30.189 member that is there with someone, you can pass 00:05:30.189 --> 00:05:34.490 that time by being that moral support to them. 00:05:35.209 --> 00:05:38.730 Holding a hand. Talking to them. And if you have 00:05:38.730 --> 00:05:43.439 someone who is very sick, Talk to them about 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:45.540 what they're experiencing because if something 00:05:45.540 --> 00:05:48.779 happens and they lose that ability to speak Your 00:05:48.779 --> 00:05:51.040 information is going to be very valuable to the 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:53.579 medical team and helping to to treat that person 00:05:53.579 --> 00:05:56.120 They're able to communicate to you along the 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:59.500 way Save the information jot that down take a 00:05:59.500 --> 00:06:02.490 notepad and a pen with you And keep those notes 00:06:02.490 --> 00:06:04.790 for the doctors. And it's always a good idea, 00:06:05.029 --> 00:06:07.589 no matter how old you are, how healthy or not 00:06:07.589 --> 00:06:11.329 healthy you are, it's always a good idea to have 00:06:11.329 --> 00:06:15.129 either saved in a folder that you can grab quickly 00:06:15.129 --> 00:06:17.290 and easily, or maybe even saved on your electronic 00:06:17.290 --> 00:06:20.040 device, be it a tablet or a phone. current list 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:22.980 of medications, current contact information for 00:06:22.980 --> 00:06:24.759 all of the medical professionals that you're 00:06:24.759 --> 00:06:27.480 seeing, especially any specialist, because what 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:29.800 that's going to do is that's going to make the 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:32.480 hospital's job a lot easier in pulling in all 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:34.560 the information they need to be able to treat 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:38.060 the situation. Absolutely. Well, when you're 00:06:38.060 --> 00:06:41.399 discharged from the hospital, what happens at 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:43.819 that point? Or is that something that, since 00:06:43.819 --> 00:06:45.379 we're running a little short of time, we ought 00:06:45.379 --> 00:06:47.899 to save for the next show? That is something 00:06:47.899 --> 00:06:50.980 that we could cover over several different shows 00:06:50.980 --> 00:06:54.040 because discharges are different depending on 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:56.579 how someone's discharging, what care they need. 00:06:57.160 --> 00:06:59.459 Right, right. Well, thank you for that great 00:06:59.459 --> 00:07:02.279 information about the hospital experience. For 00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:05.730 a lot of folks who have never been to one, or 00:07:05.730 --> 00:07:07.949 who have been to one in different situations 00:07:07.949 --> 00:07:11.069 or just been the family member of someone, that's 00:07:11.069 --> 00:07:13.670 important. That gives us some perspective to 00:07:13.670 --> 00:07:16.810 understand what to expect and how to handle ourselves 00:07:16.810 --> 00:07:19.370 once we're there. Absolutely. The most important 00:07:19.370 --> 00:07:24.089 thing is to remember that despite what they may 00:07:24.089 --> 00:07:27.170 believe, doctors are not gods and the family 00:07:27.170 --> 00:07:30.149 and the patient does have the right to know what's 00:07:30.149 --> 00:07:34.290 going on. at all times. Absolutely. Absolutely. 00:07:34.850 --> 00:07:38.089 And to have an advocate there speaking on your 00:07:38.089 --> 00:07:41.029 behalf. Absolutely. Well, of course, this is 00:07:41.029 --> 00:07:43.670 all a highly personal choice and no conversation 00:07:43.670 --> 00:07:46.589 we have on the Light Keepers podcast. Should 00:07:46.589 --> 00:07:48.709 ever take the place of your own medical care 00:07:48.709 --> 00:07:52.610 team or other medical advisor, professional advisor 00:07:52.610 --> 00:07:55.050 who should always be consulted by you on your 00:07:55.050 --> 00:07:58.810 own specific situational needs. It's always good 00:07:58.810 --> 00:08:01.529 to be willing to talk about quality of life because 00:08:01.529 --> 00:08:04.769 every single one of us will face some of these 00:08:04.769 --> 00:08:08.389 issues someday, either not prepared at all. or 00:08:08.389 --> 00:08:11.790 very well prepared indeed from joining us right 00:08:11.790 --> 00:08:13.910 here on the Light Keepers podcast each and every 00:08:13.910 --> 00:08:17.810 Wednesday at 7 p .m. Eastern. The Light Keepers 00:08:17.810 --> 00:08:21.050 podcast is an exclusive production of Animation 00:08:21.050 --> 00:08:23.290 Studios and is brought to you by a Guiding Light, 00:08:23.730 --> 00:08:27.990 a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to education 00:08:27.990 --> 00:08:30.589 and information that allows informed preparation 00:08:30.589 --> 00:08:34.309 for living the very best life possible. The mission 00:08:34.309 --> 00:08:37.250 of a guiding light is to provide education for 00:08:37.250 --> 00:08:39.389 professionals and information for everyone else 00:08:39.389 --> 00:08:43.029 about life planning, available guidance and counseling 00:08:43.029 --> 00:08:46.149 that helps individuals and their family navigate 00:08:46.149 --> 00:08:49.129 options that improve the quality of their remaining 00:08:49.129 --> 00:08:52.110 days. 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And we're so grateful for 00:09:28.669 --> 00:09:30.889 your support. Sincerely hope you'll join the 00:09:30.889 --> 00:09:33.470 conversation in coming weeks. Add your questions 00:09:33.470 --> 00:09:37.509 and comments below. Speaking of that, take a 00:09:37.509 --> 00:09:39.409 moment and hit the like and subscribe buttons 00:09:39.409 --> 00:09:42.990 right now. It is free! And turn on that notify 00:09:42.990 --> 00:09:46.750 bell so you'll catch every single episode. I'm 00:09:46.750 --> 00:09:49.509 Clayton Vandiver, your light keeper. We'll see 00:09:49.509 --> 00:09:50.450 you next time.