Oncology Inpatient Guide

Start by calling the hospital 519-685-8500 then enter the wing extension phone number:

C7100 - Extension. 52052
C7200 - Extension. 57436
C7300 - Extension. 53055
C7400 - Extension. 52921 

The following is a list of things you may wish to bring with you. They may not reflect your needs, nor are they required. In certain circumstances, you may be asked to keep personal items to a minimum.

Remember:
You are responsible for all items brought from home. Please label each item with your name.

• A selection of new cosmetics (mild or fragrance-free)
• Personal hygiene items
• New soft toothbrush
• Unopened personal hygiene products: tissues, antibacterial soap, toothpaste, lip balm, hypoallergenic lotion and waterless hand cleanser
• Electric razor (Note: Safety razors are not permitted given risk of cuts and infection.) 
• Clothing (something comfortable and loose that allows easy access for IV or central lines are recommended e.g. sweat suit and t-shirt)
• Chemotherapy may cause hair loss. You may want to bring hair clippers to trim your hair. See pages 58 and 103 in the My Care Binder for information about hair loss and resources available
• Hat, scarf or wig to keep your head warm
• Pajamas or nightwear. Hospital pajamas are available if you prefer these
• Robe
• Slippers or other comfortable footwear
• Clothing for discharge
• General items
• Photographs of family, friends, pets, and favorite places at home (Note: We ask that you put pictures or posters on non-painted surfaces only, such as the bulletin board or white drawing board.)
•  A blanket or quilt
• Your own pillow and pillowcase labeled with your name. Try to avoid using white pillowcases as they may be confused with hospital linen
• Books, magazines, bible or other religious material
• Journal, diary, stationery and pens for writing
• Drawing materials, puzzles, sewing, crafts, needlework etc. to help pass the time
• DVDs, video tapes or games; laptop or portable computers. Wireless internet access is available for a fee.
• Ear plugs/Eye mask
• You are not required to purchase a telephone plan to receive calls on the telephone in your room. You are also permitted to use cell phones.

LHSC is committed to working with patients and families to provide compassionate, high-quality care. We believe it is important for patients to experience the support of family and friends. During the pandemic, LHSC has had to limit the number of visitors to promote patient, staff, and visitor safety. Please visit the Visitor Guidelines page for the most up-to-date information about the following: 

• Fragrance-free Policy 
• Smoke-Free at LHSC 
• Animal Visitation Policy
• Flowers
• Latex Balloons

To help maintain privacy and a healing environment for our patients and their families, we have included some guidelines and recommendations:

• Visiting hours: visitors will be asked to leave the room at shift change at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to protect confidentiality of all patients while nurses give verbal bedside reports.
• Visiting may be interrupted for patient care or medical emergency. Visiting will be restricted to protect the privacy rights of other patients and to maintain safety.
•  No more than 2 visitors at your bedside at a time.
• Children under 12 should always be with an adult.
• Assign one family member to call the unit for updates about your care and communicate it to the rest of the family/friends. This will help all your family/friends to be informed, controls the information you want shared with everyone and decreases interruptions for the nursing staff so that they can focus on your care. Please note that due to privacy legislation we can only share information with the power of attorney or substitute decision maker, unless otherwise specified by you. 
• Visitors help make the hospital experience more pleasant and help with healing; however, patients tell us that sometimes too many visitors can be exhausting. You might consider creating an approved visitor list to control who visits you and ask others to wait until you are at home and feeling better.
• Please speak to your health care provider team to determine if overnight visitors are appropriate in your care. Patient privacy and care is 9 important. In certain situations, overnight visitors may not be permitted because of treatment or medical issues. Family members who are supporting you between the overnight hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. are asked to remain in your patient room and advise unit staff when coming to and leaving the unit. Chairs must also be positioned to avoid interfering with patient care.
• If your visitors would like to bring food to the hospital, please note that there are no refrigerators or heating appliances on the oncology floor. We recommend only bringing enough food for immediate consumption. There is a microwave in the cafeteria in the D tower on the 3rd floor.
• Visit the Food Services web page for more information about the retail food services at LHSC.
• Visit the Patient Entertainment web page for information about using telephones and televisions at LHSC.
• For information about where to stay in London, visit the Accommodations in London web page. 

The primary concern at LHSC is always the health and well-being of the patients. On the oncology floor, many of the patients are getting cancer treatment. Treatment affects their immune system and can increase the risk of infection causing serious complications. An infection could delay a patient’s hospital stay. 

Most germs in hospitals can be spread by unclean hands. Each time a person touches an object or another person, germs get passed along. Clean hands are the most important step in controlling the spread of infections. When planning to have visitors we recommend a few things to keep you and other patients as healthy as possible. Please refer to the laminated package at your beside for tips to stop spread of life- threatening germs. 

Sometimes patients require extra infection control precautions and have a sign posted at the entrance to their rooms. If you see a sign, please stop at the nurse’s station for instructions before you enter the room. You may need to wear gloves, a gown, a mask or protective eyewear. 

Staff will help you put 10 Food Service Location Hours of Operation Faye's Cafeteria 3rd Floor, Zone D Open 24 hours Tim Hortons 2nd Floor, Zone E Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 3:30 pm Tim Hortons Lower Lobby, Main Floor, Zone A Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm On the Go featuring Tim Hortons 2nd Floor, Zone B Monday - Friday 6:30 am - 8:30 pm Weekends 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Simply Puur 3rd Floor, Zone B Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Hours of Operation: 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm seven days a week 

Payment Method: Cash, Cheque, VISA, MasterCard them on and take them off safely (please refer to the laminated bedside package for details).

While in hospital you will be treated by a team of doctors based on the type of cancer you have and the treatment you are receiving. Throughout your stay you may see many doctors. These doctors work together within your health care team. You might not see your Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre physician while in hospital; however, information about your treatment will be available to the clinic at 
all times.

• Oncologist: An oncologist is a doctor who specializes in caring for people with cancer. You may have more than one type of oncologist on your healthcare team, depending on your treatment plan.
• Medical Oncologist: Medical oncologists are doctors who specialize in using chemotherapy (drugs) to treat cancer.
• Radiation Oncologist: Radiation oncologists are doctors who specialize in treating cancer with radiation.
• General Practitioner in Oncology (GPO): A General Practitioner in Oncology is a doctor who specializes in providing care for cancer patients. They are responsible for your care while in hospital and prescribe treatment to manage your symptoms
• Residents: Residents are doctors who have completed medical school and are continuing their training in hospital. They work within the health care team and are able to prescribe treatment to manage symptoms you may be experiencing.

• Registered Dietitians: Registered dietitians can check your nutritional health and identify and treat nutritional problems. They can help you manage side effects through nutrition. See the ‘Nutrition’ tab to learn more about how registered dietitians can help you.
• Dietary Assistant: Dietary assistants support the dietitian. The assistant will encourage eating, check for food tolerances/likes/dislikes/allergies, do meal rounds, assist with menu selections for those who need help/encouragement, trial supplements, and will analyze food consumption records as directed by the dietitian.
• Social Workers: Social workers can help you and your family cope with the emotional and real-life concerns you may experience with cancer. See the ‘Counseling’ tab to learn more about how a social worker can support you. 
• Spiritual Care Specialist: A spiritual care specialist can provide you with spiritual and emotional support. Spiritual care is interfaith and interdenominational. It offers personal support and guidance for drawing 
  on your inner wisdom, strength and resilience. See the ‘Spiritual Support’ tab to learn more about spiritual care.
• Occupational Therapists: Occupational Therapists may become involved to assess and provide treatment to enable independence and routine in a patient’s activities of daily living. Treatment may include: using activities to regain strength or movement; modifying how an activity is done to conserve energy; teaching cognitive or behavioral strategies to help with planning and executing tasks. The Occupational Therapist will assist with discharge planning by providing recommendations and education for adaptive aids, functional mobility and transfers, home modification strategies and overall home safety.
• Physiotherapist: Physiotherapist may become part of your health care team to assess and provide treatment for issues relating to pain, positioning, strength, balance, coordination, conditioning, general mobility, breathing and discharge planning. The goal of physiotherapy is to help you achieve maximum physical function within the limits imposed by your disease or treatment. We encourage friends and/or family to participate in your therapy as instructed by the therapist.
• Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA/PTA): The OTA/PTA may be involved in your occupational and/or physiotherapy program as assigned by the occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
• Support Service Worker (SSW): The SSW provides extra support to the patient and nurses. They deliver meal trays, help with patient transfers and assist with personal care. SSWs can also respond to patient call bells and provide you with snacks, blankets and hygiene supplies.
• Environmental Service Worker (ESW): The ESW works to provide a clean, safe, and sanitary environment for patients, family and staff. They clean each inpatient room and bathroom on a daily basis, as well as each inpatient room when a patient is discharged. They also remove garbage, mop floors, and ensure that common spaces are sanitary and clutter-free.

You may also meet a variety of professional staff members such as Coordinators and Managers.

Pharmacists: Pharmacists provide drugs prescribed by your doctor and answer any questions or concerns you have about your medicines.

Radiation Therapist: Radiation therapists deliver your daily radiation treatments. They help plan your treatment and operate the machines that use carefully targeted doses of radiation to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapists will also teach you about side effects related to radiation therapy and how to manage them.

Unit Clerk: The unit clerk is a clerical support worker who is situated at the nurses’ station. The unit clerk arranges your appointments and tests, manages the telephone and assists visitors who come to the unit.

South West Local Health Integration Network (SWLHIN) Care Coordinator: The care coordinator may become involved to assist with planning your discharge and will assess your eligibility for Home and Community Care through the SWLHIN. The care coordinators will assist in planning services that will best meet your needs at home. Professional and other support services are available for eligible clients.

You are an important member of the health care team. You are the expert about you. We want to encourage you to talk with your team and ask them questions if you need more information. They need to know what you think and feel about your care in order to give you the best patient care and 8 experience at LHSC. See the ’Introduction’ section in the My Care Guide for our Patient Experience Vision.

The My Care Guide will help answer many of your questions about your cancer care. You will find information on:

• Parking
• When to call for help
• Understanding your diagnosis
• Financial support
• Side Effects
• Drug Therapy
• Radiation Therapy
• Counselling
• Nutrition and healthy living
• Community Support
• After Treatment

This guide contains helpful information for your first visit to Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre and what to expect afterwards. You will be given a copy at your first visit, but can also view this online.