Grab bag: hospital/emergency hotel stay.

[BlackeyedSusan]

Just repacking the bag I take with us to the hospital if we need to go to A and E. There was a spilt can of drink incident We did a lot of discussion about this sometime back in early 2020, but with the massive waiting times now I thought I would resurrect the theme and pick your brains to see what I have forgotten.

I shall write a list in the next post of what I have/want to have in there with specific context: but we could come up with different lists for different circumstances as a general resource thread.

I took myself to A&E last September expecting to be in and out within a few hours and ended up staying in for 5 days.

I had my handbag, phone, iPad, charger, money, cardigan. Within my handbag was the normal crap like lip balm, hand cream, 3000 receipts.

I wasn't allowed any visitors because of Covid so had to just make do for 5 days with what I had and it was fine. They gave me a new hospital gown each day and very attractive disposable knickers. I managed to hobble to the little shop and pick up shampoo, toothpaste and a toothbrush.

So message of the story is anything you are missing in your bag you'll manage without.

If I had had the opportunity to prep I would have wanted:

• 2 x full changes of clothes
• slipper socks
• nice toiletries that smell good and are hydrating. It's very dry in hospital and it smells horrible
• some snacks. The food was rubbish and small portions
• one of those little squirty super concentrated squash things to make the water more exciting
• chargers and devices for entertainment. Our local hospital have removed the little tellys they used to have by each bed so if you don't have a phone/iPad then you don't have entertainment.
• paper and pen for jotting down what the Drs say at super speed as they run through their rounds before disappearing.

Context: two autistic teens, one of whom is hypermobile as well. Autistic mum.

Contents:
(Still to do food/ drink)
One bottle of drink each. (One a high sugar sports drink to avert a meltdown)
Pack of biscuits in sandwich bag (catch the crumbs and keep fresher once opened, plan to replace it if opened)
Sweets
Mints

Entertainment:
Wordsearch/puzzle book/plain notebook.
2Pens, pencil,pencil sharpener, rubber, small pack crayons.
2 fiddle toys (need the fidget spinner too)
Ear buds. (Possibly need a second pair)
2 long charger cables, one plug in block,(need another one?)
2 small power blocks1 large power block. (Used for traveling in the car)
Teddy for dd.
Book.

Medicines
Inhaler and spacer,
Prescription meds
Antihistamines,
Children's painkillers, and spoon
Paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Ear defenders.
Face masks.
Hand sanitizer.
Tissues.

Overnight stuff
3 separate bags with:
Pants.
Socks.
Toothbrush and paste.
Comb.
Hand cream as the soap in the loos makes my hands sore.

(Can leave the one we do not need in the car)

Two also have hair bobbles and sanitary towels.

Bag with soap.
Flannel or kitchen roll.
Mini towel (?)
Deodorant stick.
one pair kids pyjamas (either kid)

Spare carrier bag for coats in winter.

Change for carpark/ vending machines.

I never know what is too much or too little. I have regretted not having the bag with us before but carrying less stuff has advantages too.

I could do with a copy of dd's conditions printed and signed by the GP. Have a photo on my phone. Need the other diagnosis letters. <Sigh> this is getting complicated.

I have a grab bag which I have used during an unexpected blue light trip to hospital with unexpected week stay during covid. Also when my.mum was unexpectedly rushed into hospital. I also take it on short trips.

You can do a list for clothes and where to find them. Even when I was rushed into resus the paramedics said there was time to pack a bag ( not me packing, a relative does it or in my mums case the paramedics did it)

The real essentials are
Charger and leads long leads preferably,
power bank,
phone,
cash ( but not loads)
earplugs
Slippers / flip flops
Hairbrush
Travel size toiletries
Book
Headphones
Chrochet 😉

Could have coped with hospital gowns but not without my knickers

Lots of noises on the wards unfortunately so if its desert island disk time and only three items

Power bank and lead
Earplugs
Phone

I keep all three in my handbag now

Ah yes, some cheap, lightweight flipflops. We are all more or less the same size so one pair should do, possibly two if I can find some cheap ones.

And definitely adding the squirty squash onto the list.

Vaseline is needed for one of them and a couple of lipsils for the other two.

Torch and batteries.

Spare reading glasses and sunglasses for the glare. (They are in the car but could live in the bag instead of glove box. )

I don't do hand bags but ear buds and phone are usually in my pockets.

I do have a crochet hook, yarn and WIP. I usually grab my travel crochet pouch with hooks, needle and scissors from my other bag.

I think I need small knitting needles for dd with yarn as her go to de-stress activity.

I have enough of it packed to put in the car and add to when I shop.

If we're talking knitting (yay!) then for travel kit I recommend interchangeable needles. Bit of an adjustment, although not that big to use them in place of straights, but the needles are short, you can push your WIP down onto the cable to keep it from falling off the tips and you can have a couple of different sizes in a little pencil case.

I have a small project bag which I keep an easy to pick up project in, like a scarf, so I can just grab and go when I am going to be on a train or something and want some kind of activity to do.

Thanks. That's really helpful.

Oh yes little pouches of things are great. In primark in the sales you can always get a pack of two bikini wet bag pouches for £1. I put my charger and power bank in them but chrochet would fit too.

Flip flops are 90p in primark. I have never had a pair break yet

These are the primark bikini pouches. The big one is full iPad size. You could get a less tacky style but I was drawn to the pink glitter.....

I technically have two. One is at my parents house and one in my wardrobe with some spare clothes (jeans, t.shirt, sweatshirt, bra, PJs, couple of pairs of knickers and socks) charging cables, and toiletries.

Both have been used on more than 1 occasion, the paramedic was even happy to grab it for me.

I recently became unwell on a day out; I was taken by ambulance to A&E, went straight into resus and was admitted overnight. DH was abroad; luckily a friend was able to pick up a bag from my house and drop it off at the hospital for me. The only person available to pack the bag (under time pressure, while friend waited on the doorstep) was my teenage son. To his credit it was more hit than miss, but as soon as I got home one of the first things I did was to pack a just-in-case bag so all the necessities are in one place.

Luckily the experience was fresh in my memory so I knew what to pack.

The (NHS) hospital provided the following:

• Bottled water
• Meals
• Blanket
• Regular medication

What I have packed in case it happens again:

• Phone charger
• Earphones
• Sleep mask
• Earplugs
• Lipbalm
• Toothbrush, toothpaste (sample sized)
• Antiperspirant
• Small pack wipes, small pack tissues
• Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel (hotel-sized)
• Small towel
• Emergency paperback (in case I don't have my kindle)
• 2 large comfy t-shirts (could be worn as nightwear)
• Joggers (could be worn as nightwear)
• Spare underwear (several)
• Viscose shawl (packs down small but large enough to wrap round me)

All of the above fits into a 30L rucksack.

Being in hospital unexpectedly was quite discombobulating, especially as I have sensory processing issues. It was bright, noisy and smelled unfamiliar, and these things compounded the difficulties of being hooked up to monitors and feeling unwell in myself.

I think that having familiar / pleasant things with you can really help.

• Calming music or podcast (with headphones / earphones)
• Comfortable clothing in fabrics with pleasing textures
• Nice smelling lipbalm or handcream

Also a pair of slippers / sliders / flipflops is useful.

Some great ideas, thank you. Going to add some of them to.the bag.

My grab bag would include:

Underwear
Leggings
T shirt
Cardigan
Pyjamas
Flip flops (waterproof)
? Slippers

Small toiletry bag with mini shower gel, mini shampoo, mini toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant

One strip of all regular medications

Large bottle water
Snacks e.g. cashews
Small puzzle book and pen

And then I'd have a list of what to make sure I take in my handbag e.g. phone, charger, kindle.

I still need to finish off.
Leggins and t shirt for me. (Need to buy leggings)
Small shampoo and small conditioner
Tissues.
Cash.
Flip-flops.(unisex) (to buy)
Lipbalm and Vaseline. (To buy)
Sports drink Ds. (To buy)
Drink dd.
Biscuits.
Sweets.
Kitchen roll pieces.
Small towel.
Another set of earbuds.

I do this whenever we have to give to a and e with a child (or adult if expect to be kept in) I put it in a large ish school size ruck sack.

change of clothes for child
pjs for child
extra socks
small blanket depending upon season

spare pants and leggings and T-shirt for adult- very useful as have been weed on trying to collect a sample.
If summer consider a long loose sundress to keep cool.

paracetamol/calpol/ibu- when very busy can wait too long for pain relief. They are happy to
add self administered meds to drugs chart if more time given.
inhaler

toothbrush and toothpaste for both in sandwich bag
clinell wipes
tissues

book for adult
children's book
couple colouring books
pens
couple small figures if like

water bottle
carton juice/can something for adult
small snacks apple, cereal bar, biscuits, raisins

charger
phone- ideally with a couple downloads on it
purse

empty carrier bag

Put wet wipes in your bag. I was rushed in recently and had to stay on a surgical triage ward, which I've never heard of. There was nowhere to clean my teeth or wash my face, and I was attached to a drip. I went for 48 stressful hours without a wash and I know this sounds precious considering how sick I was but I could smell myself, it was very distressing.

If you take prescription medication in with you, keep a empty packet too flattened out as it has the dose frequency on it. My meds was converscated from me and locked in my bedside cabinet. I'm on blood pressure medication so the thought of not getting my right dose freaks me out. Then the hospital dont have to check with the gp that its 1 tablet twice a day.

I need to repack really as I'm off on a short break soon

Some good ideas here. I've tied a note to my bag, reminding me if I get chance to throw in more medication and extra PJs and that someone will need to feed the fish! I've also tied a house key to my bag in case I'm going to hospital in an ambulance and don't want to take my handbag (there's some cash hidden in my toiletry bag).

I am stress testing the bag by staying in hospital with my mum.

Make sure everything is in there as thinking in an emergency is not clear. You might forget to pick up....

Putting a list for last minutes additions might be an idea?

Definitely.when you need the bag you are not thinking clearly. Especially for things that are needed elsewhere.

There will be a few additions. And a whole refill. Going to name individual bags. (IE one for me, one for each child) you can then take out what you don't need.

I agree with a previous poster, flip flops are must. I remembered those and they are useful.

Could do with a nail.brush.
Forgot a razor. (Keep one in the car usually) and forgot to put the wet wipes back after holiday. I think having a master list would help repacking urgently.

Sweets/ chocolate

Have added some small sachets of salt (I need a higher salt diet according to the cardiologist)

A tiny sewing kit would have come in use. I have a small hole in an inconvenient place. (You know the thin card ones)

I need to refill socks/pants etc when home.

Worth considering that you may be away from home when you need it.

Hello, revisiting this thread as I can't find a similar newer one and wanted to share what I've learnt from two recent family trips to A&E within a week, one followed by a hospital stay.

We were pretty well set up for the actual hospital stay thanks to this thread, but poorly prepared for 8 hours in A&E. I should have had in a second bag:

• small camping/travel pillow (our a&e don't provide them and if you're on an a&e trolley at midnight waiting for a bed they come in very handy)
• small inflatable camping seat pad (for all the hours sat on uncomfortable plastic chairs)
• several drinks and a full meal worth of snacks

The last one is probably most important. We weren't offered any real food (patient or supporter) during 5hr long visit 1 and on about hour 4 of 8 on visit 2 we were offered packaged sandwiches, but I'd watched them through the bay curtains sat on a table in a warm room for the last 2 hours so no thanks. So our very late tea was 2 NHS custard creams as I couldn't leave the patient to go in search of a vending machine.

Oh, and pack everything in a bag that will fold up as there's no space in the ward lockers for an overnight wheelie bag.

So true that thinking in an emergency goes out of the window.

I would add a few FFP2 face masks. NHS staff are being discouraged from testing themselves for covid or staying off work unless properly ill, so a lot are working as normal even if they're full of covid symptoms. Waiting rooms can also be full of coughing people. Either way good to have the option of protecting yourself. (Masks with valves in are easiest to breathe in - good if you're the patient and you know you're not infectious yourself, as they don't protect other people only you.)