Patients and Visitors are responsible for all personal belongings and valuables.  Speare Memorial Hospital is not responsible for replacing lost, misplaced, stolen, or damaged belongings and valuables; therefore Speare Memorial Hospital recommends that patients and visitors bring only essential items to the hospital.

Valuables are defined as money, jewelry, medications, documents, items of monetary or sentimental value, clothing, dentures, hearing aids, eyeglasses or contacts, wheelchairs, walkers, canes or crutches, watches, credit cards, wallets or purses, cameras, cell phones, laptops or computers, home monitors, prosthetic devices, oxygen tanks or home respiratory machines.

The following tips are provided to assist you with securing your personal belongings and valuables if not sent home:

• Clothing – There is limited storage space in each patient room. We suggest that clothing worn to the hospital be sent home with family/friends and the appropriate clothing be brought to the hospital shortly before patient discharge.  The hospital provides robes, gowns and slippers for all patients.
• Denture Care – All patients must inform their nurses that they are wearing bridges or dentures. Staff members 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, in the pocket of a hospital robe or gown, in the bed sheets or in any concealed place where they may be lost or accidently 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 the patients name to store the aids in when not in use. Do not leave hearing aids unprotected on the bedside table, on the bed, on the meal tray or in the pocket of a hospital gown or robe.
• Eyeglasses and contacts – To prevent loss or damage to eye wear during hospitalization, patients are asked not to leave eyeglasses or contacts unprotected on the bedside table, bed or in the pocket of a hospital robe or gown. Eye wear is best secured in the case provided on purchase labeled with the patient’s name.
• Wheelchairs, Walkers, Canes or Crutches, Home Monitors or Respiratory Machines – Please put your name and date of birth on all necessary items that are brought to the hospital. Your nurse can provide a sticker label for you to write this information on and affix to your belongings.
• Medications – Always bring a list of all the medications that you are taking to the hospital. This list should also include herbals, over-the-counter medications and prescription medications.  If you bring in your own medications, your nurse will send your medications to pharmacy for review, verification and labeling.  Your medications will be stored at the nurse’s station medication room or area on the unit of your room, and the unused portions of the medications returned to the patient on discharge from the hospital.  Personal medications are not to be stored at the bedside and are not to be taken without physician and pharmacy approval.
• Lost Items – While Speare Memorial Hospital is not responsible for the personal belongings and valuables of patients or visitors; we will make every reasonable attempt to return lost or misplaced items to their owners. In the event that belongings or valuables are lost or cannot be located please notify your nurse.   For lost patient belongings or valuables found after patient discharge, we will attempt to notify you via last know telephone/cell phone number.