Now that the surgery is over your loved one (LO) will go to his/her room upon leaving the recovery room. Picking the right accommodation means getting a private room.

This was no problem for us because my father-in-law had a bacterial condition that was not treatable with anti-biotics.  It did not endanger him but it could cause problems for other people. As such he was always segregated when he was in the hospital.  Interestingly, he was not segregated when he was in the rehab facility.

The nice thing about a private room is that it is, well, private.  Your LO doesn’t have to put up with the sounds and smells that come with a room mate.  The stream of visitors, interns, doctors, residents, nurses are bad enough when they come for him/her, it is doubled when they come for the room mate.

My father-in-law was annoyed that his room mate in rehab had fallen asleep and left the TV on too loud.  He got up unescorted and with out his walker.  He fell and broke his hip which required another operation and another stay in the rehab facility.

You can also request that the number of visits from interns be limited so that your LO can get more rest.

The equality of care depends a great deal on the nurses. They see your LO more often and for a greater length of time than a doctor.  We got to know the nursing staff by name.  We brought them lunch from the deli.  We baked cookies for them.  We even called every night so we got to know the night shift.  We wanted them to know that we appreciated everything they were doing for my father-in-law.

Lastly, use the time that they are in the hospital or in rehab to get caught up on your sleep.  Or take a mini vacation.  It helps to reduce your stress and you deserve it.

For a free DVD on the secrets of elder care go to HomeCareSurvival.com