Your Inpatient Stay
When you choose Cary Medical Center for your healthcare needs, you can rest easier knowing that we are a team of highly skilled professionals fully committed to providing you personalized, compassionate care while using the latest medical technologies and techniques. We constantly strive to exceed our patients’ expectations and take great pride in being able to deliver exceptionally high quality care. To help make your hospital experience as positive as possible, and to alleviate the anxiety and fear often felt by those needing inpatient care, we encourage you to review the information below. Please feel free to contact us with any additional questions about your inpatient stay by calling our Social Services department at 498-1215.
What To Bring
Personal Items – You are welcome to bring personal items with you to the hospital including your own toothbrush, comb, slippers, or robe. Your nurse can provide these items if you were not able to bring your own. For the safety of our patients and staff, please do not bring items from home that require electricity, such as curling irons or hair dryers. If you need these items, please speak with your nurse.
Medications – Please bring your medications with you in their original bottles, including all prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines that you take regularly, and supplements. This will help us to provide better care and reduce the risk of medication errors or drug interactions. For information about our medication dispensing system, click here.
Valuables – We strongly urge you to leave your money, jewelry, important papers, and other valuables at home. If any of these items must be brought with you, please arrange with the Admissions staff to have these items placed in the hospital safe until you are discharged. You may want to keep a small amount of cash ($1 – $5) with you for items such as newspapers. If you have an emergency admission, we will give your valuable items to a family member, or keep them in the hospital safe until you can make other arrangements.
The Admission Process
When you are admitted to the hospital, you will first see the staff in our Admissions Office (if you are admitted through the Emergency Department and are unable to communicate, a member of our Admissions Office staff will start the admissions process with a family member). They will explain the admission process to you and complete admissions forms based on information that you (or your loved one) provide and orders from your physician. After the paperwork is completed and you have signed your consent forms, they will provide you with a wrist identification bracelet. You will need to wear this bracelet throughout your entire stay because it is coded with specific information about you and your health. Your nurses will periodically scan this wristband to verify your identity, check for known allergies, and ensure that you are receiving the correct medications. For more information about our medication bar coding system, click here.
Be Our Guest
Sometimes it is best for patients to be in the hospital the night before their surgery but, often times, insurance companies will not pay for this extra night of stay. As part our commitment to patient satisfaction, we offer the “Be Our Guest” program to provide patients and their families the convenience of being able to stay at Cary Medical Center without having to pay additional fees. These arrangements can be made through the office of the physician who is ordering your surgery.
Private Room
Every patient room at Cary Medical Center is a private, one-bed suite with a view to the outside, private bathroom, cable television, telephone, two-way nurse call button, and additional seating for visitors. Please feel free to ask your nurse for extra blankets, pillows, a fan, or any other item that may make your stay with us more comfortable. We want to create a healing atmosphere for you and ensure that you are completely satisfied with your surroundings while at Cary Medical Center.
Pastoral Services
Cary Medical Center supports a holistic approach to caring for patients and their families, including attending to their spiritual needs. We work closely with area clergy so that patients can incorporate their religious beliefs and practices into their hospital stay. When you are admitted to the hospital, if you wish, the admitting staff will list your church affiliation on your admission paperwork. A member of your church clergy may visit with you at any time. For those of the Catholic Faith, communion services are offered through Holy Rosary Catholic Church and are provided by volunteers affiliated with the church and Cary Medical Center. For more information about any of the pastoral services, please speak with your nurse. If you would like to see a Pastor, Priest, Rabbi or other religious leader immediately, please tell your nurse and he or she will help you make arrangements. All clergy who visit at Cary Medical Center are registered in our Social Service Department.
Mail & Flowers
Our hospital volunteers regularly deliver mail and flowers addressed to patients at Cary Medical Center. All of our patient rooms have convenient shelves for displaying your cards and flowers. If we should receive your mail or flowers after you have been discharged, we will make every effort to get these items to you.
Visiting Hours
Cary has a tradition of providing very generous visiting hours on most of our patient care units. We believe that seeing family and friends during your hospital stay is an important part of your overall care and recovery. Normal visiting hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., but other arrangements can be made by talking with your nurse. If you prefer to have a family member stay with you while you are in the hospital, we can provide a cot for your room. Parents of children who are hospitalized may also room with their child. Children are welcome to visit when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Patients who wish to have a number of visitors or times of visitation restriction may do so by speaking with their nurse or doctor. Doctors may also suggest reduced visiting in order for the patient to get necessary rest. We also would be happy to provide meals for visitors in the patient’s room. Please speak with your nurse about ordering meals.
Visitor Waiting Areas
Comfortable waiting areas for visitors are located in the main lobby and near the entrance of the Acute Care Unit, Special Care unit, and the Maternal Child Unit.
The Hayward Suite
When a person is hospitalized, we understand that having their loved ones nearby can ease anxiety and promote healing. To make it easier for our patients’ families to be close by, we have a special suite at Cary Medical Center called the Hayward Suite. This suite provides a comfortable, private place for family members of patients who have a serious medical condition to gather and rest without having to leave the hospital. Many of the conveniences of home are available in our Hayward Suite, including a living room with recliners, a sleep sofa, and television; a kitchenette with table, chairs, microwave, coffee maker, toaster, and refrigerator; a bedroom with two twin beds and a chest of drawers; and a private bathroom with a shower. There is no charge to use our Hayward Suite; arrangements for using the suite can be made through our nursing staff.
Our suite was established in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Mead Hayward, a longtime pediatrician and his wife, who were both very involved in community activities and organizations during their many years in our area.
Discharge Planning
When you are ready to leave the hospital, our social services team will help the transition back to home and community go as smoothly as possible. Our comprehensive discharge planning includes evaluating and arranging post-hospital services, such as home nursing care, therapy, and assisted living, based on the physical, social, and financial needs of you and their family.