Your care & safety during your stay

Guelph General Hospital provides a wide range of programs and services to the community we serve. Our healthcare team is supported by over 240 volunteers who contribute more than 20,000 hours of service each year.

Upon your arrival, an interdisciplinary team will assess your needs and determine what services you require. If you have any questions about your care, speak to your healthcare provider.

Your team may include physicians, nurses, dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational or respiratory therapists, social workers etc.

Guelph General Hospital is committed to a process that helps staff and patients in making difficult decisions. During your hospitalization you may be asked to sign consents for tests,procedures and treatments. Before signing consent, be sure you understand all risks and benefits.

Advance care planning is about expressing your wishes, while you are capable, about how you wish to be cared for in the future. It is also about giving someone you trust information regarding your wishes and the authority to make decisions for you in the future if you are not capable of doing so yourself. At a time when you are not capable of making decisions the person legally responsible for making decisions for you is called a Substitute Decision Maker.

A Power of Attorney is a document naming the person you wish to be your Substitute Decision Maker. A copy of your Advance Care Plan
or Power of Attorney documentation may be requested to assist your team in planning for your care. If you have questions about Advanced Care Planning or Powers of Attorney, or if you have a document prepared, please inform your healthcare team.

During your stay, a staff member will assess your pain using a numeric pain scale of 0 to 10 or a visual face chart. A score of 0 is no pain and a score of 10 in the worst possible pain. Be sure to discuss your pain and possible pain management options with your health care team.

It is important we know all of the medications you are currently taking. Bring your home medications to the hospital in their original containers and show them to one of the staff who is caring for you.

You may be asked to use medication(s) from home while you are in Hospital. A hospital pharmacist will identify these medications and a nurse will administer them for you. Any of your medications not used in Hospital will be safely stored and returned to you at the time of discharge.

Hands are the main way that germs are spread. Germs are often harmless but they can also make you sick. Hands pick up germs from touching other people, things such as doorknobs and light switches, and by coughing or sneezing into your hands.

Frequent hand washing and cleaning your hands with hand sanitizer found throughout the Hospital are the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs and infectious illnesses.

Anyone who is feeling unwell should not visit in person. Instead they can call or use our virtual visiting option.

Blood clots in the deep veins or in the lungs can be a common complication in hospitalized patients. Called Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), there are many things you can to do help prevent them.

• Ask your doctor or nurse what is being done to reduce your risk of getting a blood clot?
• Ask if you should be given a medication to prevent unwanted clotting in the blood
• Resume normal physical activity and walking as soon as your doctor permits it
• Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated
• Report any chest pain, shortness of breath, pain or swelling in your leg to a member of your health care team

Falls are a major health concern for ALL patients in our hospital. Falls can cause head injuries, broken bones, reduced mobility, and increased fear. Unfortunately, 40 per cent of nursing home placements occur as a result of falls.

At GGH, we take falls seriously and do what we can to help reduce the risk of falls. Patients too can play a role in making sure they don’t fall. For example, tell the nurse if you are in pain, or feel dizzy or thirsty. Ask staff for help to get up and moving. Finally, be sure to use your call bell should you need help.

A pressure injury is also known as a bedsore or pressure ulcer. Pressure injury is damage that occurs on the skin and underlying tissue. Inactivity, friction, poor nutrition and moist wet skin are common causes. The most common places for pressure ulcers to develop are over bony areas such as heels, ankles, elbows, hips, shoulders, and the lower back.

Pressure injuries are caused by a lack of blood supply to an area of skin. These injuries begin as a reddened area on the skin and can become an open sore. They can occur from intense pressure over a lengthy period of time or less pressure over a long period of time

To help promote healthy lifestyle choices, smoking, vaping and e-cigarettes are not allowed anywhere on hospital property. To help ease the craving for nicotine, medical support is available to patients. Just ask your healthcare provider.

Hospital property does not include the public sidewalk on Delhi Street. Our smoke-free policy is enforced with the assistance of Public Health under the Tobacco Control Act.

At GGH we aim to have a discharge time of 9 a.m. as this allows time to prepare your bed for the next patient. This can be delayed as your doctor may need more information such as test results before you can leave. As part of planning for your discharge, you and your family or caregiver may meet with a Social worker or a Care Coordinator from the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN) to help prepare the support that you might need to return home.

When leaving, please make sure that you have all of your belongings and hospital cards, as well as post-hospital instructions and prescriptions as needed. It is important you understand all instructions about your medication, diet, activity and return appointments. If you are unsure about anything, please ask your healthcare provider before you leave.

In some cases, if you need more time to help you recover your strength before you go home, you healthcare team may suggest a short stay in a transitional care program or an alternate care facility, such as an inpatient rehabilitation program, where you can continue your recovery. If you are considering placement into a long-term care home, your healthcare team will plan for the help you will need to return home while you wait.

There may come a time when your health has improved to a point that you no longer need to be in an acute care hospital but you may require another program before returning home, such as a rehabilitation program or a different level of care such as a retirement home or nursing home. This is referred to as waiting for an Alternate Level of Care (ALC). If you become an ALC patient, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care supports hospitals charging ALC patients a daily fee while waiting in hospital to leave. The fee helps cover the cost of your accommodation and meals and is based on your monthly income. For more information, please ask to speak with a social worker or your Resource Nurse.