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Making Hospital Stays Easier, Safer Needs Active Focus Of Patient, Family
Hospital stays are wearing and frightening for both patients and families.
If a hospital stay is in the offing, it pays to do some preparation beforehand to make it easier on the patient as well as the family.
Suggestions made by healthcare proponents:
- Check the hospital’s procedures and efficacy to make sure it can handle the patient’s condition and needs.
- Always be pleasant (or civil) to hospital personnel. A smile and “thank-you” go a long way to improving care.
- Throughout the hospital stay, be positive and help the patient through the difficult situation with smiles and encouragement.
- Listen carefully to what doctors, nurses and other personnel tell the patient and you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and admit that you don’t understand. Demand answers and make sure the patient’s needs are taken care of.
- Write down questions, problems, etc. to support communication. Raise concerns, problems early and constructively.
- Patients should make outside doctors (such as a diabetes specialist) aware they are having a procedure done; so they can consult or be on call if necessary.
- Stay positive. Prayers, especially from others, help.
While the patient is in the hospital, remember that there are things that can be done to make the stay less dangerous.
They are summed up in these “8 Tips for Improving the Safety of a Hospital Stay.”
1. Pick a high-volume hospital. Studies have shown that patients fare better when they’re treated at hospitals that care for many patients with a similar illness or condition. If patients have a choice, they should select a facility with the most experience performing the procedure or surgery.
2. Ward off nasty bugs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 million U.S. patients acquire an infection in the hospital each year. One effective way to guard against this threat is for patients to insist that every hospital staff member washes his/her hands with soap or alcohol gel before examining them. Patients should wash their own hands often as well. This may be the single most effective way to prevent in-hospital infections.
3. Bring an advocate. Ask a family member or friend to serve as a second set of eyes and ears, to ask questions of clinical staff, and to double-check medications and other treatments with doctors and nurses. Being seriously ill is a high-stress, exhausting experience—the last thing patients want to worry about is second-guessing their clinicians. A friend or family member can be an assertive advocate for a patient’s care if and when the person needs backup.
4. Ask (lots of) questions. Patients should make sure they understand what medications and treatments they will be receiving, and ask their doctor to explain them if they don’t. If they need surgery or another serious procedure, it’s also important to know what will happen, how long it will take, and what to expect during the recovery period.
5. Know who’s in charge. Find out the names of the attending nurses and the physician in charge of care. Obtain a phone or pager number of the doctor who will track progress inside and outside the hospital.
6. Disclose all medications. The Institute of Medicine estimates that two out of every 100 patients admitted to a hospital experience a preventable adverse drug event. Patients should keep a list of medications they are taking, including over-the-counter remedies and herbal supplements, and show it to every one of the doctors.
7. Avoid surgical site errors. Patients should ask the surgeon to state and mark the site of the surgery before they go under the knife. Taking this simple step may help prevent a surgery location mix-up.
8. Focus on getting home. Hospitals are dangerous places. That last thing patients want to do is spend more time than they need to in a building where antibiotic-resistant germs and other infectious bugs proliferate. Patients should focus their energy on getting home as early and safely as possible. Upon discharge, ask the doctor to clearly explain the treatment plan for the rest of the recovery.
Adapted from article by Korey Capozza, MSN Health & Fitness
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