Patient Belongings and Valuables
Patients and visitors are responsible for all belongings. North Alabama Medical Center is not responsible for replacing lost or misplaced items. We recommend you bring only essential items to the hospital and offer the following tips to help keep your personal items secure:
Clothing
Storage space in patient rooms is limited. A robe and slippers are necessary for all patients. Hospital gowns are provided. We suggest that clothing worn to the hospital be sent home with family/friends and have appropriate clothing brought to the hospital shortly before patient discharge.
Denture Care
Patients are asked if they wear dentures or bridges and if so, a staff member will provide a denture cup to store them in when not in use. The cup will be labeled with the patient’s name. Please avoid placing dentures on a meal tray, under a pillow, on the sheets or in any concealed place where they may be lost or accidentally thrown out.
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids should be kept in the original case provided upon purchase. If the original case is not available, nursing staff will provide a container labeled with patient name to store the hearing aids in when not in use. Do not leave hearing aids unprotected on the bedside or over-bed table.
Eyeglasses/Contact lenses
Glasses and contact lenses are best secured in a case with patient name on it when not in use. To prevent loss or damage to eyeglasses during hospitalization, patients are asked to not leave them unprotected on the bedside table, in a robe pocket or on the bed.
Wheelchairs, Walkers, Canes
Please put your name on all necessary items that are brought to the hospital including wheelchairs, walkers, and canes.
Medications
Bring a current list of medications the patient is taking to the hospital. This includes herbal and over the counter medications as well as prescription medications. If a list is not available, bring in the medication containers for the staff to create a current medication list. The containers can then be taken home by a family member or friend. If medications are unable to be sent home, they may be stored by the hospital until discharge. At this time they will be retrieved. Medications brought from home are not to be stored at the bedside.
Valuables
Please leave all valuables at home or send them home with a family member or friend upon admission to the hospital; this includes cash, checkbooks, credit cards, jewelry and other items deemed to be of value, wallet, purse, cell phone, laptop computers, e-readers, iPads, etc., or any other item that would be considered a loss if misplaced. Patients move about during a hospital admission for testing, procedures and treatments or from one inpatient unit to another due to their medical condition. If family members are not present, valuable items should be given to the nursing staff to be secured in a valuables envelope and locked in the safe. They are not to be kept at the bedside. A receipt is placed on the chart for the valuables locked in the safe. To retrieve valuables, the patient will request through the patient care provider who will contact Security to retrieve the valuables. The secured bag is opened in the presence of the patient and the valuables are match to the contents listings. The receiver of the valuables signs the Security Valuables Sheet.
Lost Items
Unless placed in our possession for safekeeping, NAMC health System does not replace lost items. We will be happy to check our lost and found for your items. If you are/were an inpatient, please call the unit that is/was responsible for your care. If you are/were an outpatient, please speak with the practice manager of the outpatient unit.