When You Leave
We Care About What You Think
SMCSR’s doctors, staff and volunteers are committed to providing a high degree of quality care and service. If at anytime during your stay you are not completely satisfied with any aspect of your care, please ask to speak to the Nurse Manager. Following your stay, a patient satisfaction survey will be mailed to your home. We encourage you to complete the survey to help us improve our care and services. All responses are confidential. Written comments and questions may also be mailed to:
Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa
Administration
3325 Chanate Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
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Discharge Planning
Our staff is available to help you prepare for continuing care after your hospital stay. These arrangements may include ordering equipment such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, etc. for your home use, supplying lists of rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities and board and care homes, or arranging details of your transfer home or to another facility. Depending on your needs, a social worker may also refer you to the home health liaison nurse. If a social worker hasn’t contacted you, you may call 576-4000 or you may ask your nurse for the social worker overseeing your discharge.
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Checkout Time/Preparing for Discharge
Your doctor will advise you when you may go home. Please plan to check out by 11:00 a.m. Before discharge, your nurse will review with you your physician’s instructions about diet, activity, medications and follow-up care. Please make prior transportation arrangements with family or friends so the transition from hospital to home is as smooth as possible.
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Tips for Taking Your Medicine after Discharge
- If you are allergic to any medications, carry an allergy card or wear a medic alert to identify you and your allergies.
- Use the medicine only for yourself.
- Take only the dose or amount prescribed for you by your doctor. Consult your doctor if you feel you need to increase or decrease the dose.
- Keep medicine in its original container.
- Be very careful with drugs that look alike.
- Shake liquid medicine prior to pouring dose.
- Follow any special instructions on the container (store in refrigerator, do not expose to light, avoid driving or operating machinery, do not take while drinking alcohol).
- Except medications prescribed to be taken on an as needed basis, take all of the medicine prescribed, even if your symptoms are gone.
- Know the names of the medicines you are taking and the reason you are taking them. Write down the names, amounts, and times of the medications you take and keep it in your wallet or purse.
- Discard the medicine after the expiration date. Check with your doctor if you need more.
- Be sure there is adequate light when taking medicine - read your label carefully! You could get the wrong one!
- Tell medical professionals about all the medicines, vitamins, herbals & dietary supplements you are taking.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects of the medicines.
- If you forget the instructions or have questions, don’t hesitate to call your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
- Keep all medicine out of the reach of children.
- Tell your pharmacist if you want childproof or regular caps.
- If you are taking over the counter medicines, (i.e., aspirin, cold tablets), ask your pharmacist if they are compatible with your prescription medicines.
- If you would like help planning a medicine schedule, ask your pharmacist, doctor or nurse.
- Flush unused or outdated medicines down the toilet. Do not give your unused medications to another person.
- Call ahead for medicine refills. Do not wait until you have taken the last pill since many times the pharmacist must first have the doctor’s approval.
- Sometimes a generic medicine will be substituted for a brand name medication. Generic brands are less expensive but are the same medication and dosage.
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Home Care
Sometimes patients require home care following their discharge from the hospital. Home care can offer the supervision of a registered nurse, follow-up therapies, visits from a home health aide, equipment and other services.
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Business Services
As a courtesy to you, our Business Services Department will bill your account directly to your insurance carrier. To accomplish this, you may be asked to provide billing information at the time of registration. If you should have any questions or concerns about the bill for services that you receive, please contact the Business Services Department at 576-4240.
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Financial Counseling Services
If you have questions regarding your financial responsibilities or wish to inquire about financial resources that may be available to assist you in covering the cost of your care, please feel free to contact SMCSR’s financial counselors at 576-4238 or 576-4463 or your case manager may facilitate this process.
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Supporting SMCSR
Donations in support of SMCSR are welcomed and gratefully accepted. If you would like to make a monetary donation to a specific department or program send your donation to: Fund Development Dept, P.O. Box 12039, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Your gift is tax deductible. Or if you would like to become a hospital volunteer, please contact the hospital Auxiliary Office for more information at 576-4006. Thank You.
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Cough and Deep Breathing Instructions
Your doctor wants you to do coughing and deep breathing exercises as much as possible to prevent infection in your lungs as rapidly as possible.
- Make sure your bed is in an upright position or sit up in a straight chair so that your head and shoulders are supported by a firm surface.
- You can use pillows to help you position yourself and support your stomach.
- Inhale deeply and then cough, using your stomach and chest muscles.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose until you can see your chest and stomach muscles rise.
- Exhale.
If you have been given an incentive spirometer, do the exercise at least every two (2 ) hours while awake, as instructed by your caregiver.
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