Going
into Hospital
For
urgent admission, the doctor will arrange for transport. This is usually
an ambulance, although a family or friend’s car may be appropriate.
Apart from basic toiletries, please remember to take a little money
for shopping etc. and also a pen and paper, as this is often forgotten.
See
below for arranged admissions.
Hospital
Transport
If
you are elderly, disabled or are unable to get to the hospital under
your own steam, you may be entitled to free transport.
TRIP
is an established charity working in the area and they work in conjunction
with The Westcountry Ambulance Service and Voluntary Car Services.
To
book transport patients must call 08450 539100 (for an ambulance)
or 01822 616958 (for a car) at least 48 hours in advance.
The lines are open between 9 and 5 Monday to Friday and 9 until 1 on
Saturdays. There is a criteria that must be met before transport
can
be allocated and for the car service there is a flat charge per journey.
For more information call the number above.
Plymouth Heartbeat is a registered charity that has a courtesy car available to take cardiac patients to hospital appointments and to take them home again, anywhere in Devon and Cornwall. All voluntary drivers are trained in CPR, basic life support and defibrillation. If you would like to make a donation towards petrol that would be greatly received but in any event a thank you is good enough. If you have a cardiac illness and would like to use this service they can be contaced on 01752 658083 or 01752 789508. Please note this is a service for patient with a cardiac illness only.
Things that need to be done when there is a death
If
someone dies at home you must call your doctor who will certify the death.
Unless
the doctor decides to refer the matter to the Coroner, he or she will
prepare a
Medical Certificate within the next day or so.
This
certificate must be taken to the local Registrar of Births or Deaths
within
five days of the death. Your funeral director will give you the Registrar’s address
and opening hours and will explain what you have to do when you get
there.
The
Registrar will require personal details of the deceased such as
their date
and place of birth and death, a marriage certificate if this applies,
and will want
to know whether they were receiving a pension or any welfare benefits.
The
Registrar will then issue the death certificate and the notification
of disposal
which should be given to the funeral director.
You
will also need more than one copy of the death certificate, probably
as
many as five altogether. You will need a copy for the Will, for any
pension
claims, insurance policies and investments.
Sudden Death
If
the death is sudden or unexpected your doctor has a duty to tell the
police.
They will report it to the coroner who may call for a post-mortem and
may
arrange for an inquest, which is a public inquiry to find out the cause
of death.
You should not be alarmed by this. In most cases it is merely a technicality.
There
are many trained people who can help you to get through this, such
as counsellors, nurses and of course your doctor, who will be involved
initially.
There are various groups whom it may be useful to contact in the long
term such as:
CRUSE
- Available for advice and support.
Telephone 01752 408134
Traumatic
Loss and Bereavement Service.
Available for advice and support. Telephone 01752 223332
|
Bereavement Advice
Bereavement
is a distressing but common experience. Sooner or later most of us will
suffer the death of someone we love.
Grieving
takes place after any sort of loss e.g. a divorce, but most powerfully
after the death of a loved one. Feelings experienced over a period of
time
range from emotional to physical effects such as :
Stunned
Numbness
Yearning
Anger
Guilt/blame
Avoiding people
Depression/anxiety
Loss of appetite/weight
Poor sleep pattern
Acceptance
Various stages of mourning often overlap and show themselves in different
ways - we are all individuals.
