Hospital rules
Hospital Delivery Guide: Addressing, Courier Rules, and Timing
Address hospital deliveries with the patient's full legal name, the hospital's full name and street address, and the unit and room number if you know them. Send on a weekday during business hours, and choose a sender that will redeliver if the patient has moved or gone home.
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Step-by-step
- Ask the family first. Check that the patient is up for gifts, which unit they're on and whether they expect to be discharged soon.
- Call the hospital. Ask the main line or the unit desk whether the unit accepts the kind of gift you have in mind. Hospitals generally won't share a patient's room number without the patient's permission, so the family is your best source.
- Get the name exactly right. Use the patient's full legal name as registered — not a nickname or married name they don't use officially.
- Use the full hospital address. Include the hospital's full name, the street address and, if the hospital has several buildings, the building or wing.
- Add the unit and room. If you know them, include them. If not, the hospital's mail or volunteer team will usually look the patient up — if the patient has agreed to be listed.
- Choose the right day. Weekday mornings are best. Many hospital mail rooms and volunteer desks have reduced weekend hours.
- Ask about discharge policies. Choose a florist or retailer that will redeliver to the home or issue a credit if the patient has gone home.
- Let the family know it's on the way, so they can watch for it.
Addressing: correct vs. incorrect
| Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|
| Patient: Margaret A. Lopez | "Peggy" or "Grandma" |
| Riverside General Hospital, 1200 Example Ave, Springfield, ST 00000 | "The hospital on Main St." |
| West Tower, 4th Floor — Cardiac Unit, Room 412 | Room number only, no building or unit |
| Sender: Your full name and phone number | No sender name, so the patient doesn't know who it's from |
(The names and address above are fictional examples.)
How deliveries usually reach the bedside
Florists and couriers typically drop off at a front desk, a mail room or a volunteer office, not at the bedside. Staff or volunteers then take items up to the unit. This can add a few hours, so same-day orders placed late in the afternoon may arrive the next morning.
When the patient moves or goes home
Patients are transferred between units and discharged quickly. If you can't confirm where the patient will be:
- Send to the home address to greet them on return
- Choose a digital gift card or e-card that travels with them
- Order with a retailer that offers a redelivery guarantee
Privacy
Under US privacy rules, hospitals are careful about sharing patient information, and patients can choose not to be listed in the hospital directory. If staff say they "have no patient by that name," the patient may have opted out. Check with the family rather than pressing staff. The US Department of Health and Human Services explains hospital directory rules.
Related checks
Before you order, review the unit's rules for flowers, balloons and the ICU.