Bringing a Support Person to Your Imaging Visit in Ajax

Should someone come with you? Before you answer, consider a few quick questions:

• Will you be driving after a fast, or after a long morning of holding a full bladder?
• Do you tend to forget questions the moment you are face to face with a health professional?
• Are you helping an older parent, a partner with limited mobility, or someone who finds new places unsettling?
• Is this a scan you are excited about, such as an elective 3D/4D session, that you would like to share?
• Or do you simply feel steadier with a familiar face nearby?

If you answered yes to any of these, a support person may make your imaging visit easier. This article looks at how to choose the right person, what to confirm with the clinic before you arrive, and how your companion can be genuinely useful on the day. It is written for patients coming to Rossland Diagnostic Clinic in Ajax, but most of the ideas apply to any imaging appointment.

What we can and cannot say up front

Here is the honest starting point. For our 3D/4D ultrasound sessions, family and friends are welcome; those appointments are designed to be shared.

For other exams, whether a companion can stay with you, and where, depends on the type of exam and the situation on the day. Some imaging rooms are small, some exams need extra privacy, and X-ray rooms have their own safety considerations. Rather than guess, please call 905-426-3111 before your visit and ask. A quick conversation lets you plan around the answer instead of being surprised at the front desk.

That phone call is the thread that runs through the rest of this article.

Choosing the right person

The best support person is not always the closest relative. It is the person who will make the visit calmer and simpler for you. Some qualities worth looking for:

• Steady under mild stress. Someone who stays relaxed if there is a wait or a change of plan.
• Practical. Good with directions, timing and paperwork.
• Discreet. You may be discussing personal health details at check-in. Choose someone you are comfortable having hear them.
• Available for the whole visit. A companion who has to leave early can add pressure rather than remove it.

It is fine to decide you would rather go alone. Some people find that company makes them more self-conscious, or they prefer to keep a health matter private. A support person is an option, not an expectation.

Questions to ask when you call the clinic

When you phone to book or confirm, it helps to have a short list ready. You might ask:

1. Can my companion come into the exam room for this type of exam, or will they wait in the waiting area?
2. Is there anything my companion should know about the visit, such as how long to expect to wait?
3. I am bringing a child or another dependant along. Is that workable for this exam, or should I arrange care?
4. The person I am accompanying needs help with mobility, hearing or communication. What should we let you know in advance?

Write down the answers. If your plans change before your Ajax appointment, for example if a different person ends up coming with you, a second short call is worthwhile.

How a support person can help before the visit

A good companion often does their most useful work before anyone sets foot in the clinic.

Keeping preparation on track

Many ultrasound exams come with preparation instructions: an empty stomach for an abdominal scan, a full bladder for a pelvic scan, or both. A support person can help by keeping track of the timing, setting phone reminders, and reading the instructions on our patient preparation page alongside you so two people understand them. If there is any confusion, they can make the call to the clinic while you get ready.

Gathering what to bring

A companion can double-check the bag before you leave: health card, requisition if you have a paper copy, a list of medications if relevant, glasses or hearing aids, and something to eat afterward if you have been fasting.

Handling the drive

There is no sedation for ultrasound, X-ray, mammography or bone density exams, so most people can drive themselves. Still, having someone else drive can take pressure off a fasting or nervous patient. The clinic is at Unit 102, 300 Rossland Road East in Ajax, with free parking and ground-floor access, which keeps drop-off and pick-up straightforward.

On the day: being useful in the waiting area

Even when a companion stays in the waiting area, their presence can matter. Practical ways to help:

• Help with check-in. Holding the documents, spelling an address, or reminding the patient of a recent surgery or a medication change that is worth mentioning.
• Keep the mood light. Conversation, a shared playlist or a crossword can make the wait pass more easily.
• Hold belongings. Coats, bags, phones and jewellery the patient may be asked to remove.
• Stay off the topic of results. Speculating about what the scan might show rarely helps. The images will be reviewed and the report sent to the patient’s health-care provider; our article on how imaging results reach your doctor explains that process.

If the patient is especially anxious, a companion can also help them practise a slow breathing pattern while they wait. A minute or two of slow breathing, with longer out-breaths than in-breaths, is something you can easily do together.

Supporting someone who needs extra help

Sometimes you are not the patient at all, but the person doing the supporting. A few situations deserve particular thought.

An older parent or relative

Accompanying an older adult often means managing mobility, hearing, memory or simple fatigue. We cover this in detail in our guide to accessible imaging for seniors and caregivers, including positioning, clothing and choosing a time of day. The short version for a companion: arrive with a little extra time, let staff know about any needs at check-in, and ask ahead whether you can stay nearby during the parts of the visit where that is possible.

Someone who communicates in another language

Family members often help relatives who are more comfortable in a language other than English. If that is your situation, mention it when you call so the clinic knows what to expect, and ask what support may be available. Keep in mind that health conversations can be personal; the patient should be comfortable with you hearing and relaying the details.

A pregnant partner

Many pregnant patients like to have a partner with them for prenatal scans. Whether a partner can come into the room for a medical obstetrical ultrasound is a question to ask when you book. It also helps if a partner understands beforehand what the appointment is for: a prenatal scan ordered by your provider is focused on medical information rather than keepsakes, so the room may be quieter and more businesslike than they expect.

Children coming along

Parents sometimes have no choice but to bring a child to their own appointment. Whether that works will depend on the exam, and a young child may need someone to supervise them while you are being scanned. If you are the patient and have to bring children, consider bringing a second adult too, and ask the clinic when you book. If your child is the one who needs imaging, call to confirm what is possible for their age and exam before booking.

The keepsake exception: 3D/4D ultrasound

Elective 3D/4D sessions are the one type of visit where company is part of the point. Family and friends are welcome, and partners, grandparents-to-be, siblings and close friends often come along to see the baby on screen. If you are planning this kind of session, our articles on the best time for a 3D/4D ultrasound and on sharing the experience with family cover timing and guest planning in more depth. For details on packages and how many guests the room can comfortably fit, call the clinic.

It is worth remembering that a 3D/4D session is a separate experience from the medical scans your health-care provider orders, and it does not replace them.

Privacy, consent and your health information

Bringing a support person does not mean giving up control of your personal health information. You decide what your companion hears and what you keep private. A few points worth knowing:

• You can ask your companion to step away during check-in or any conversation you would rather have privately.
• Imaging reports go to the health-care provider who ordered your exam, not to the person who accompanied you.
• If you want a family member to be involved in follow-up conversations with your doctor, that is something to arrange with your doctor’s office.

If you are supporting someone who has a substitute decision-maker or power of attorney for personal care, bring that information with you in case it is relevant.

Key takeaways

• A support person can help with preparation timing, driving, check-in, belongings and simply keeping you calm.
• Family and friends are welcome at 3D/4D ultrasound sessions.
• For every other exam, call the clinic before your visit to confirm whether a companion can come into the room or should wait in the waiting area.
• Choose someone steady, practical and discreet, or go alone if that suits you better.
• Mention mobility, hearing, language or childcare needs in advance so the team can plan.
• Your health information remains yours; you choose what your companion is part of.

Planning your visit

Patients from Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and across Durham Region often come to their appointments with a partner, an adult child or a good friend, and a little planning helps everyone get the most from the visit. To learn more about the scans we offer, visit our ultrasound services page, and when you are ready, request an appointment or call us at 905-426-3111 to ask about bringing someone with you.