LOST & FOUND ITEMS
1. Encourage patients to leave valuables at home.
2. If patients want to keep items with them, clear documentation needs to be present in the patient record of items that stay with the patient. Information should include:
a. Colors of items (for jewelry state: clear stone, blue colored stone, gold toned chain, etc)
b. Use as much of a description as possible
c. A hospital representative and the patient or patient representative on admission and on transferring from one unit to another signs form.
d. Do not leave any lines blank. List N/A (not applicable)
3. Verbally state in medical record when items are sent home with family members including the relationship to the patient
4. Safe in patient rooms or locker rooms for patients to keep items in that are not sent home
5. Ownership belongs in all units in the hospital that handle patient belongings. Suggestion is to charge for replacement of the item back to the unit where the item was last documented
6. Eliminate “secret” cubbyholes in the departments. Utilize one and only one centralized drop off station for all items found.
7. Have a paid individual responsible for rounding on the units to collect the items
8. Have a centralized documentation system for lost and found items
9. Suggest specific guidelines addressing when it is okay to dispose of items
10. Have scripting specific to prevent items from being lost/improperly disposed of such as “can I throw this away?” “Can I take your food tray now?”
11. Reward staff for turning in items such as a free lunch ticket
12. Offer staff who turn in items the option of claiming the item if it is not turned in or have another method of turning in costly items and recoup them through a second hand store and either use that to off set the cost of the program or to donate to a hospital charity
13. Educate, educate, educate staff at least on an annual basis especially on the appropriate handling of patient items and where to go if someone loses them
14. Always apologize to the patients and let them know the specific department to contact and the anticipated timeframe to resolve their lost claim