Tips For A Safe Hospital Stay
Tips For A Safe Hospital Stay
Tips For A Safe Hospital Stay
Being admitted to the hospital is intimidating and scary. Today's hospital patients are sicker and more medically compromised than every before. Once they are in the hospital patients feel very vulnerable, exposed (sometimes literally) and generally not in control. But, there are steps you and your loved ones can take to gain a sense of control and ensure a safe hospital stay.
Do some research on the hospitals in your area before you need them.
Sites such asiTriageHealth.com and the mobile applicationiTriage have complete listings for all levels of care in your area ranging from Hospital Emergency Rooms to Urgent Care Centers and Retail Clinics. From these sites you can link toHealthGrades and obtain quality ratings on all these facilities. Additionally, you can obtain a quality report and rating report on individual physicians that might be on your care team.
Be part of the quality solution.
If you have concerns about the quality of care you received while a patient in the hospital call the Quality Improvement Organization in your state. Call 1-800-633-4227 to get your state specific number.
Follow These Ten Tips To Ensure A Safe Hospital Stay
Insist on clean hands to prevent the spread of infection. This goes for all the medical staff as well as family and visitors. If you don't see someone wash their hands or use an alcohol-based solution, politely ask them.
Help prevent medication mix-ups by insisting that staff check your wristband each time they give you a drug, draw a blood sample or perform a test. Ensure that the information on your wristband is accurate especially if you have any drug allergies.
If a medication looks different than you expect, ask the nurse to double-check it.
Understand why a test or procedure is being performed. Every study or lab test is performed to answer a specific question. Ask is there are alternatives.
Don' get out of bed without help unless you are told you can. New medications can make you feel fine lying down, but can make you less stable on your feet.
Write down questions as they occur to you, and then ask your nurse or physician for answers. At discharge be sure to get clear instructions on what you should and should not do.
Tell your caregivers about all medications you take at home, including supplements and over-the-counter medications. If possible compile a drug list of current medications and dosages to be placed in your chart.
Prepare a living will. Make sure this is in your record. Appoint a health-care proxy to make sure doctors follow your wishes if you are incapacitated and issues arise that are not in your living will.
If possible, appoint your own advocate to stay at your bedside during your stay. This individual can serve as another set of eyes and ears when receiving information from healthcare professionals and can also be alert to any deviation in care that might adversely affect the patient (food being given to a patient who is not supposed to have anything by mouth prior to surgery, ensuring staff wash their hands, etc.)
If something doesn't' seem right, tell your nurse or physician. If your concerns are still not addressed request to speak to the charge nurse or the hospitals patient advocate.
Hospitals normally run in a well-choreographed manner with many professionals all performing at their best. Keeping these tips in mind will help to ensure the safety of any future hospital visits.
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