You will most probably be admitted into a short-term hospital, which is a hospital that seldom has patients for longer than a month, and usually for 3 to 10 days. Long-term hospitals treat patients with psychiatric problems or long-lasting physical illnesses.
The hospital will probably be a general hospital, that is, one that deals with a complete range of treatment. However, some patients require care in a special hospital, for example, a pediatric hospital, if the patient is a child, or a maternity hospital, if a woman is having a baby. Your physician will recommend the most appropriate kind of hospital for your particular condition.
Elective Admission
Elective admission is admission to a hospital after at least one day of planning before the actual date of entry. Many such admissions are for surgery. Others are for tests that cannot be performed on an outpatient basis. Medical conditions that require an elective admission are less common, but if a hospital is full and the condition is not an emergency, a patient may remain at home for a day or two until a bed becomes available.
The admissions office is usually located in the main lobby near the information desk. When you arrive at the desk, there are a number of questions that the admissions office clerk will ask. Your name, address, and date of birth are required, and you will probably be asked to give your employer’s telephone number as well as your home number. The clerk will also need to know the name and address of your next of kin or another responsible party in case an emergency develops during your stay in the hospital. Many hospitals want to know your religion because some religious groups place restrictions on what procedures may be done, and it is important that the hospital knows this in advance. For example, some sects do not allow the use of blood transfusions, and the hospital would be liable if one were given without the patient’s consent.
