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There’s value in having a family member or friends with patients during the ER visit. Having a support person is helpful with asking questions, remembering what was discussed during the ER visit, remembering what to do after the ER visits, alerting staff, when the patient needs help, or is worsening to help provide background information to the healthcare staff. That said because of the COVID pandemic, there are now more restrictions on who can be with the patients during the ER visits, and specifically who can come back to the room with the patient. This varies from ER to ER, and it’s best to ask for the local policy at that ER. Any printed instructions you get at the end of the ER visit will frequently have lots of important information. They may have important test results. Frequently they’ll have specific instructions for care after the ER visit and what to do if symptoms are getting worse. It’s also a good idea to review the instructions before going home, to make sure that there’s complete understanding of everything that needs to be done in the plan of care after the ER visit. ER visits can sometimes be confusing, with a lot of people coming in and out of the room. It is always okay to ask a staff member who they are, their role in the care and what they are doing to help at that moment in time.
