 Paramedical and non-medical servicesPatients' social department
Social workers
The social workers are able to help you or your family members solve any difficulties occurring because of your admission or illness. You can call on them at any time for information, advice and counselling on financial, material, family or personal problems. These discussions are always confidential.
An exploratory discussion with the social worker working with your ward or department can be of help. You may always take you queries or concerns directly to the hospital’s patients’ social service. Should they not have a suitable answer, they will be glad to help you further on your way.
Your doctor, nurses, reception and any Ghent University Hospital employee are also able to refer you to the patients’ social service.
You can reach the social workers any day direct or by telephone between 08:00 am and 17:00 pm. You can ask the social workers of your ward or the secretariat of patients’ social service for the leaflet ‘Preparing for hospital discharge’, which contains a great deal of useful information.
Intercultural mediation
Two intercultural mediators work in the patients’ social service.
You may approach them for language assistance and support when communicating with care providers in the hospital. They can also assist you with anything that is not clear to you to do with patient care due to differences in socio-cultural background. Furthermore, they are available for giving you practical explanation about how things work at Ghent University Hospital. The intercultural mediators can be reached any day.
Social interpreting
For other languages, we can make a request to interpreting and translation centres. These social interpreters have no mediating function and so form no part of the intercultural mediation service. The social interpreters’ package of tasks is confined to rendering verbal messages fully and faithfully from one language to another and that in the context of providing social and public assistance and service.
The work of social interpreting comprises ‘in situ interpreting’ and ‘telephone interpreting’. In the first case, the interpreter is physically present during the discussion. In the second case, interpreting assistance is provided on the telephone. Your doctor, the nurses, reception and all Ghent University Hospital staff can assist you further with your request for a social interpreter.
Patient ombudsman
If you are not satisfied with the treatment and services you have received, we encourage you to discuss this directly with the person concerned, the head nurse or the treating physician. They are ready to discuss with you how a problem or complaint can be resolved. If this proves unsuccessful, or you fail to reach a solution, you can apply to the hospital ombudsman, preferably in writing. However, you can also contact the service by telephone, 09 332 52 34, or by e-mail, ombudsdienst@uzgent.be, (not on Wednesday afternoons). A personal discussion can be arranged by appointment (B1 ground floor).
Psychological services in the hospital
One or more psychologists work in a number of our departments.
Palliative care
Patients and families can contact a team of specialists who offer advice and support towards the end of life.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy and massage treatments are available in all departments when prescribed by a specialist doctor.
Speech therapy
Speech therapists are available to resolve speech problems.
Occupational therapy
An occupational therapist can provide individual training and support you in becoming more independent, by teaching you to cope with day-to-day activities, showing you how to use equipment, advising about wheelchairs etc.
Foot care
Through the head nurse, patients can request a consultation for specific foot care (pedicure and/or chiropody).
Dietary advice
A dietician regularly visits diet patients during their stay. They check whether diet meals need to be modified and give dietary advice. A follow-up is possible following discharge.
Education
A local school is linked to Ghent University Hospital, providing education at primary, lower and secondary level, in order to prevent children from falling behind at school as far as possible if they are hospitalised for a long time.
Other services
Hairdressing
Hairdresser’s ‘Peggy’, situated on the ground floor of K1, is open from 08:30 am to 18:00 pm from Tuesday to Friday and from 08.30 am to 14:00 pm on Saturdays. You can arrive without appointment, although you may prefer to telephone for one on 09 332 58 25. Hair care in patients’ rooms is only possible on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with an appointment made by telephoning 09 332 20 12.
Laundering personal linen
If you wish to make use of the services of a private laundry to wash personal linen, please speak to the head nurse.
Library
You can use the Red Cross library free of charge. On Tuesdays and Fridays you can choose from the books which Red Cross volunteers bring to the nursing departments.
ATM in K12
There is a Dexia Bank ATM in the entrance hall of K12 which accepts all current cards. |
Patients
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