Paperwork
The Delivery Slip Is a Record: Check What Arrived, the Return Window, and Who Signed
The paper that comes with the equipment is the only written proof of what you received, so read it before the driver leaves.
The delivery slip is easy to sign and easy to lose. It is also the document that decides what you can say later about a missing part, a wrong size, or a damaged frame. Give it five minutes before the truck pulls away.
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Match the item to the order
Read the item name, the size, and any model or serial number on the slip against the order or the hospital's written list. If the slip says one thing and the box says another, write down both before you sign. A wrong size is much easier to fix on the day it arrives than two weeks later.
Count the parts
Open the box while the driver is still there, or ask them to wait. Check for the hardware bag, the cushions, the caps, the tools, and the instruction sheet. Note any missing part on the slip itself, in writing, and sign beside the note. A verbal promise that the missing piece will come is not a record.
Note damage and sign only for what you received
Look for dents, cracks, or bent tubing. Photograph anything you see, with the box and the slip in the frame if you can. Sign for the delivery, but write any damage or shortage next to your signature. The person who signs is usually the person the company calls first, so decide ahead of time who that will be.
Find the return window before you need it
Ask the supplier, before the driver leaves, how long you have to return an item, who pays for the return shipping under their terms, and what number to call. Write the answers on the slip or on the same page as the hospital's list. Ask whether a return needs a written request or can be handled by phone, because that changes what you must keep.
Keep the paper in one place
Put the slip, the photos, and the company's phone number in one folder with the discharge paperwork. The How We Write page explains why this desk asks you to keep records in one place, and the About this desk page explains who it is written for.