If a PSer Has an Accident. . . Awkward Question

[iLander]

So here's an awkward question; if a PSer gets into a car accident (knock on wood, heaven forbid, spit, spit, spit) what happens to the bling? If they awaken from consciousness 3 days later, and the family is staring down at them in the bed, will the bling be somewhere safe?

Do hospitals have safes?

There's some really big rings and things out there.

Should we worry about the honesty of the people caring for the victim? From the EMT's down to orderlies, nurses, etc.?

I understand that the vast majority are honest people with integrity. But . . .

Or is this just a paranoid problem that I have?

Is there some kind of procedure for this?

Please don't be offended, I have no one else to ask, and this has been on my mind . . .

 

[diamondseeker2006]

One word...INSURANCE.

This is a good example of when one would need it.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Yes, I second the insurance recommendation. It would be wonderful if we could trust everyone, but you know, sometimes you think that someone would absolutely never steal from you, but then an item goes missing and you're left to wonder...

Also, if someone is in a car accident or whatever, the last thing a relative SHOULD BE worrying about is protecting their injured relative's huge diamond ring so just have items insuranced and face the fact that we just never can be 100% certain a person won't steal something. It may not be of a non-jewelry person's perpective to even think about it, you know? And, even if everyone is trustworthy, the jewerly may get broken or have to be cut off for some reason and lost in all the chaos.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I must feel strongly about this as somehow my computer went funky and posted my comment three times! lol

 

[MichelleCarmen]

.

 

[junebug17]

One word...INSURANCE.

This is a good example of when one would need it.

Yes, I suppose you are right DS - when my mother had her stroke and was in the hospital, we were all so overwhelmed we didn't even realize she had her engagement ring on - and finally a nurse recommended we take it and the gold cross she was wearing home - so weird, I'm over 50 years old and feel so clueless on so many things.

 

[junebug17]

double post - the delete button didn't work

 

[Efe]

My husband's aunt died several years ago wearing a diamond heirloom ring that we knew she wore every day. When my husband flew in to identify and have the body released there was no ring with her belongings. He told the funeral home that he intended to call the police and have them investigate, since her body was discovered by friends and they confirmed that she was wearing the ring. Long story short, they suddenly found the diamond ring. Just shocking.

 

[aviastar]

Well, it depends. If it's lost off the hands/neck/ears at the time of accident...well, then it is probably living a happy new life in the median.

The paramedics should leave anything alone that doesn't medically need to come off, i.e. swelling fingers. If something does get removed it should be logged with the personal possesions they hand off to the ER staff.

Once you are in the E.R. or a room, the nurse should call security to come and catalogue your valuables and have them taken to
the hospital safe in a bag with your name and patient number on it. But the best option is always to not wear it in, if it's s schedueled procedure, or give it to a family memeber to take home. Things do get lost; the hospital I worked in replaced most things if a complaint was made. Mostly it was glasses and dentures, but I remember once they did replace diamond ring. They didn't lose the ring, it was documented as returned to her, but she was playing the system and made a complaint and replacement is cheaper and less hassel than getting lawyers involved so they did.

That's how my hospital did it, anyway!

 

[decodelighted]

I went into the hospital for surgery last week and the pre-op instructions said DO NOT BRING ANY VALUABLES. So, I'm guessing that's for a reason. Concur that insurance is for times like injury-while-wearing-bling. Most professionals of all types are honorable I'm sure -- but it only takes one bad apple.

 

[Dancing Fire]

iLander, not a awkward Q. i was going to start a thread asking the same Qs.

 

[junebug17]

iLander, not a awkward Q. i was going to start a thread asking the same Qs.

I agree, not an awkward question at all - something to definitely be aware of and think about. In the case of a scheduled operation, it certainly makes sense not to wear jewelry to the hospital, and you have time to think about it...but in my mother's case, which was an emergency situation where she was taken in an ambulance and was in very bad shape, and we were all crazy with worry and things were so chaotic- we didn't even think of her jewelry, and in hindsight we should have. Both pieces have great sentimental value. They should have been taken home that very first day.

 

[yennyfire]

My grandmother's ring was stolen off of her hand while she was in the hospital. I don't remember the details, as I was a kid, but I remember that it happened....not sure if the hospital reimbursed or not.

If I'm being honest and it was my family member in the hospital, I'd probably ask about bling. If it were ME in the accident, I know it would never cross my family's mind. I know that my ring cannot be replaced in kind, so this topic has prompted me to have a convo with DH and my parents. If I'm in an accident and survive, my ring had better be somewhere safe or I'll have a heart attack! I know that sounds shallow, but I really love my ring!

 

[iLander]

iLander, not a awkward Q. i was going to start a thread asking the same Qs.

I agree, not an awkward question at all - something to definitely be aware of and think about. In the case of a scheduled operation, it certainly makes sense not to wear jewelry to the hospital, and you have time to think about it...but in my mother's case, which was an emergency situation where she was taken in an ambulance and was in very bad shape, and we were all crazy with worry and things were so chaotic- we didn't even think of her jewelry, and in hindsight we should have. Both pieces have great sentimental value. They should have been taken home that very first day.

Thanks, I was worried I would offend the many wonderful members of the medical community that we have here on PS. Of course, they know this has nothing to do with them at all.

 

[junebug17]

iLander, not a awkward Q. i was going to start a thread asking the same Qs.

I agree, not an awkward question at all - something to definitely be aware of and think about. In the case of a scheduled operation, it certainly makes sense not to wear jewelry to the hospital, and you have time to think about it...but in my mother's case, which was an emergency situation where she was taken in an ambulance and was in very bad shape, and we were all crazy with worry and things were so chaotic- we didn't even think of her jewelry, and in hindsight we should have. Both pieces have great sentimental value. They should have been taken home that very first day.

Thanks, I was worried I would offend the many wonderful members of the medical community that we have here on PS. Of course, they know this has nothing to do with them at all.

I hear ya - and I would hope the medical professionals would not get offended either, this is really just a matter of common sense - the same common sense that keeps people from leaving jewelry in hotel rooms while on vacation. But I've been on PS for a while now and I can't promise you that someone won't get offended. We have had threads like this before and unfortunately stories of jewelry gone missing in hospitals, nursing homes, and rehab centers, so the reality is it does happen, as unpleasant as it is.

It was a nurse that alerted us to the fact we should take my mother's jewelry home.

 

[GirlyGirl]

My mother used to work as a nurse in a hospital. She had locker and showered there. She would take off her e-ring and put it in a soap dish inside the shower stall with her. One day, someone reached into the shower stall and took her ring. She never caught the thief.

Stealing like that is a real low. It happens. Yay for insurance.

 

[partgypsy]

I could have swore I read an article about a woman in a car crash, where the husband maintains the EMT personnel stole the ring off her hand. The woman I believe died. But I can't locate it.

Needless to say, if you are having a planned procedure, leave the bling at home.

Acts of God, etc, hopefully there is insurance if the worse happens, but if it is an heirloom or sentimental value, it doesn't totally replace the loss. I would expect ems, hospital staff stealing would be pretty low likelihood.

 

[iheartscience]

I could have swore I read an article about a woman in a car crash, where the husband maintains the EMT personnel stole the ring off her hand. The woman I believe died. But I can't locate it.

Needless to say, if you are having a planned procedure, leave the bling at home.

Acts of God, etc, hopefully there is insurance if the worse happens, but if it is an heirloom or sentimental value, it doesn't totally replace the loss. I would expect ems, hospital staff stealing would be pretty low likelihood.

I read this too-I think there was a PS thread about it.

And I agree that's what insurance is for, although of course I wouldn't want my stuff stolen!

 

[Amber St. Clare]

When I had my surgery last summer I wore a plain rose gold wb to the hospital and I was told to take it off by those in pre-op and my husband took it home.

When I was taken to the ER and admitted I had to take off my everyday bling. It was kinda embarassing--I asked for a separate plastic bag for each piece because I didn't want anything to scratch and I didn't want my necklace to tangle. Fortunately my husband was there to bring it home. I don't want to think about what would have happened if he wasn't there......

 

[iLander]

Oh, boy.

I would never bring jewelry into a hospital for a procedure, so no problem there.

But now I really am worried about an accident. Maybe bling should only be for around the house. I don't have much, more sentimental than anything else, but . . .

But I'm allergic to about every pain killer (even aspirin and tylenol, codeine, morphine, motrin, percodan. I really can only take demerol. Try explaining that to the ER guy ) and half the antibiotics out there, so chances are they'll do me in rather than revive me. Guess I won't care.

Knock on wood, salt over my shoulder, spit, spit, spit.

 

[amc80]

DH is a deputy sheriff. He worked an accident where a lady died. Her husband showed up on scene and noticed her VERY large diamond was missing from its setting. DH looked around and managed to find it on the road. Of course, he handed it over to the husband, but he (or anyone who found it) could have easily pocketed it.

 

[lliang_chi]

My MIL was in an accident and the ER nurses were the ones that took her rings off her before her fingers before they needed to get cut off due to swelling (pumping her with liquids). They kept it and handed it to SIL when we arrived to the hospital. I think for the most part, 1st responders and nurses etc are fantastic professionals, but there are those few bad apples. For them, INSURANCE.