What to bring
If you have time to pack, please consider bringing the following items with you:
- Your social security number, insurance information (name of carrier, policy number, card), pre-certification (if necessary) from your health insurance company, and your co-pay (if applicable)
- Pajamas (if you wish to wear your own)
- A robe and slippers (if you wish to wear your own)
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Comb or brush and non-electric shaving equipment
- Eyeglasses, dentures, or hearing aids, and labeled containers for each
- A list of all your medications (prescription and over-the-counter) with dosage and frequency
- A small amount of cash to buy things you may want from our gift shop
What not to bring
- Large sums of cash or valuables
- Electrical devices, such as shavers, radios, laptop computers, or hair dryers
- Your own medications, unless your doctor tells you to
Keeping your belongings secure
Patients and visitors are responsible for all personal belongings. Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) is not responsible for replacing lost or misplaced items, so we recommend you bring only essential items to the hospital.
We offer the following tips to help keep your personal items secure:
- Clothing: Storage space in patient rooms is limited. We have hospital gowns and non-skid socks for patients to wear during their stay. We suggest that clothing worn to the hospital be sent home with family or friends and that appropriate clothing be brought to the hospital shortly before patient discharge.
- Dentures and bridges: A staff member will provide a denture cup for patients who use dentures or bridges 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 away.
- Eyeglasses: Glasses are best secured in a case, marked with the patient name, when not in use. To prevent loss or damage to eyeglasses during hospitalization, patients are asked not to leave them unprotected on the bedside table, in a robe pocket, or on the bed.
- 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 in which to store the aids when not in use. Do not leave aids unprotected on the bedside or on over-bed tables.
- 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 pharmacist to view. Afterwards, the containers can be taken home by a family member or friend or stored by the pharmacy for retrieval prior to discharge. Medications brought in 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 jewelry and watches, cash and credit cards, wallets and purses, all electronics (cameras, cell phones, laptops, chargers, and tablets), and any other item that would be considered a loss if misplaced.
- Wheelchairs, walkers, and canes: Please put your name on all necessary items that are brought to the hospital including wheelchairs, walkers, and canes.
Lost items
While SVMC is not responsible for patient and visitor personal belongings, we certainly try to return lost items to their owners. SVMC does not replace lost, stolen, or damaged items. To file a lost-item report, please call the Patient Advocate at 802-440-4054.