Patients & Family
Your Stay
Visiting
Patient’s Choice – Family Presence and Visiting
At Chatham-Kent Health Alliance,
our patients determine the family they want present.
Visitors are welcome between the hours of 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.,
provided the patient is accepting visitors.
We call our family presence and visiting policy “Patient’s Choice”.
To Our Patients:
Our “Patient’s Choice” visiting policy is based upon your personal needs and wishes. Our staff will honour your need for rest and privacy and your desire to have family present. Space limitations, infection prevention and control, and patient decision, in partnership with the health care provider, will determine the number of family members, as defined by you, who can be with you during your hospital stay.
We encourage you to prioritize your preferences during your hospital stay. Please share your desires regarding family presence and visitors with our staff. We will do our best to meet your requests. Assigning a spokesperson from your family can be one way that may be helpful to you to keep family and friends informed while you are in the hospital.
You may request that no visitors be allowed. For visitors that are declined, there is an opportunity to 1) send an e-card by visiting the CKHA website, or, 2) by leaving a note.
To Our Patient’s Families:
Our “Patient’s Choice” visiting policy supports the patients individual preferences regarding family, family presence and participation in care. Families, as defined by the patient, are welcome any time of the day.
To Our Patient’s Visitors:
On occasion, patients may prefer no visitors. Patients need to participate in specific therapies, require time to heal, and need rest for recovery. We ask that visitors respect the patient’s wishes and their privacy. Please make sure that you know the wishes of the patient before visiting. Visitors are welcome between the hours of 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Patient safety is a priority. For the safety of our patients, families, visitors and staff, we ask all families and visitors to wash their hands upon entering and leaving the hospital. Sometimes patients are in isolation and special precautions need to be followed. If you are entering a patient’s room that is in precautions, please check with the nurse before entering the room. Family and visitors, who have been exposed to or have symptoms of communicable disease, should not come to the hospital. The hospital reserves the right to restrict visitors for infection prevention and control.
Lost and Found
If you have forgotten a personal item at the hospital following your discharge, you can contact the Security Department (Chatham 519-352-6401 ext 6384) or the nursing unit that provided your care at Sydenham Campus.
For Your Safety
Allergies
It is very important that our staff be made aware of any allergies you may have (e.g. food, latex, medication, tape, plastic, metal, etc.). Please make them known to nursing staff during your admission to a unit. Because some patients, visitors and staff are allergic to products containing latex, we do not allow latex balloons in the hospitals. As an alternative, mylar balloons (the silver, shiny balloons) are welcomed. As well, please do not wear any scented products such as cologne, after-shave, highly scented hair care products, lotions or perfume as they can also trigger allergic reactions.
In Case of Fire
Our staff is trained to deal with emergencies. To assure emergency readiness, we test the fire alarm system each month. In the event of a fire or drill, you will hear the alarm bell. Remain where you are unless directed by staff to do otherwise. Do not use the elevators. Staff will close your windows and the door to your room. Please have your visitors remain in your room. Staff is positioned outside in the hall, awaiting further instructions on the overhead speaker system. At the end of the drill, "All Clear" will be announced. You are free to resume your usual activities at this time.
No Smoking
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is a smoke-free property. In order to protect patients, visitors and staff from the effects of smoking, our hospitals, grounds and parking lots are smoke free.
We encourage patients to discuss Smoking Cessation Assistance and/or Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) with their caregivers during their stay as needed to help manage their addiction. NRT is available at Elston Pharmacy (Chatham Campus) for visitors’ convenience as needed.
Be Involved in Your Care
- Ask your doctor or nurse if you have any questions or concerns about your care
- Bring all of your medications with you when you come to the hospital.
- Be sure to tell your healthcare team about your past illnesses, your current health condition, and any past allergies or reactions to medications or food.
For Your Comfort
Radio and Television
Patients are permitted to have portable radios but they are to be used with an ear piece and safety-checked by our Engineering Department. Personal televisions are not permitted in the hospital.
Television rental is available from Hospitality Network. Both basic and premium cable services are available in most departments for a daily fee. For information and installation, please call Hospitality Network at 1-800-387-8223.
Accommodations
The Comfort Inn in Chatham offers a special rate for families with a loved one in the hospital. As part of the package, Radio Cab offers a flat rate each way from the hospital to the hotel. To make reservations call 519-352-5500. A card from your nursing unit confirming a hospital stay or hospital appointment is required upon hotel check-in.
Telephones/Cellular Phones/Pay Phones
Cellular phones can be used in areas identified with green signs such as cafeterias and lounges. Cellular phones must be turned off and not used in direct patient areas, e.g. patient rooms and clinical areas. Their radio frequency can interfere with the proper functioning of some medical equipment.
Bedside telephones are available in most rooms and local calls may be made at no cost to you. Simply dial ‘9’ and the local number. To place a long distance call, please dial extension 6299 and the operator will assist you. You must call collect, or bill your home number or use your personal long distance calling card.
To place a call inside either Campus of CKHA, dial the 4-digit extension number.
Pay phones are also located near your unit.
Newspapers/Vending Machines/ATM
Newspaper stands are available near the Lobby, Gift Shop, and lower level elevators (Chatham).
Vending machines are located in busy areas of the hospital.
An Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is available near the Lobby in Chatham and in Wallaceburg.
Nutrition Services
Nutrition Services is an essential part of your care. During your stay at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, we strive to make your mealtime high-quality, nutritious, and satisfying by providing prompt and friendly service, and by offering you balanced meals to meet your specific health care needs.
Each day a trained Nutrition Staff member will visit you to take your meal orders. Paper menus are also available if you prefer to have your family complete the menu selections for you.
Meal Delivery Times
Breakfast............. 7:45 am – 8:15 am
Lunch................... 11:45 am – 12:15 pm
Supper................. 4:45 pm – 5:15 pm
Communication is key to ensuring your positive food experience. If you have special food requests, comments or concerns please call ext. 6659 to speak to, or leave a message for Dietary personnel follow-up. This extension is monitored from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm daily.
Cafeteria
Café Grand (Chatham site) is open Monday to Friday from 6:30 am to 2:00 pm and 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.
24 hour vending and seating is available at both hospital campuses for use by patients, families, visitors, staff, physicians, volunteers and students.
There are also outdoor picnic areas with tables if you would like to eat outside.
Tim Horton’s
Tim Hortons (Chatham campus) offers donuts, bagels, cookies, muffins and hot and cold beverages from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm every day of the week.
Medication
If you are taking non-prescription medications, complementary or herbal supplements in addition to your prescriptions, please inform your caregivers. While you are in the hospital, only medications ordered by your physician must be taken. Taking medications from home or medications brought in by family/visitors, can be very detrimental to your medical treatment.
Doctor Visits
Your care is being over-seen by a physician. Nursing staff may be able to provide assistance if you require communication with a physician. It is often difficult to plan an exact time for physician visits.
Ethics Consultation
At CKHA, we have an ethics team that consists of 20 staff members and volunteers who have received ethics training to assist with ethical decision making. This service is available to anyone who faces an ethical dilemma.
If you or your family is faced with an ethical dilemma, your caregiver can assist you in accessing the expert advice required.
Emotional and Spiritual Support
Hospital chaplains are trained professionals who are members of the healthcare interdisciplinary team. Chaplains can help if you are in need of emotional and/or spiritual support, are feeling lonely, discouraged or misunderstood, need religious care, wish to receive sacrament(s), have special religious needs according to your faith tradition (e.g. food, customs at birth, death, removal of religious symbols, religious holidays), are experiencing loss or grief, and/or if you wish to pray. If you would like a visit from a hospital chaplain please contact your healthcare provider.
If you would like a visit by your own clergy or faith community, please contact them directly.
Eucharistic Ministers are available upon request to distribute Holy Communion for Roman Catholic patients.
Patients and families may request the Sacrament of the Sick and staff will make the appropriate arrangements.
Mass is offered at 2 p.m. every Sunday afternoon in the Chapel.
Everyone is welcome to visit the Chapel just off the Main Lobby (Chatham), and the Quiet Room on the 1st floor at Sydenham Campus (Wallaceburg).
Your Privacy
Respecting your privacy is our legal, ethical and moral responsibility.
To provide compassionate, quality care and treatment, CKHA must gather, use and keep safe certain patient information. Our Privacy Policy guides the management of confidential information.
To maintain and enhance care, we partner with the Foundation of CKHA. The Foundation fosters financial support for unfunded or under-funded equipment, facilities and operations. To allow our Foundation to inform you of fundraising activities, special events and funding needs, CKHA provides the name, address and telephone number of former patients. No other information is provided. The Foundation protects personal information as required by the law and does not rent, sell or trade contact lists.
If you have any questions or concerns about CKHA’s Privacy Policy, or if you wish to be excluded from Foundation contact, please contact CKHA’s Privacy Officer at 519-437-6100.
Special Assistance
If required, we can provide aids such as wheelchairs, hearing amplification devices, telecommunication devices, sign language and 24/7 interpreter service. To make arrangements, please discuss your needs with your doctor or nursing staff upon arrival.