Caldwell County Hospital - Patient Information


	Home > Patient Information

	Fall Prevention Safety Falls are not just the result of getting older. Many falls can be prevented. Falls are usually caused by a number of things. To reduce your risk of falling remember to: Keep cane, walker, or other assistive devices within reach Call your nurse for assistance when you need to get up When moving from one position to another, such as from bed to chair or chair to standing, you should pause for a couple of moments to let your blood pressure adjust and to orient to your new position Wear nonslip shoes or houseshoes when walking in the room or hallway. Please don't walk barefoot or only in stocking feet When walking in the hallway, please notice that handrails are available for use if you feel weak or dizzy Please do not get up without assistance or without notifying a nurse if you have had any pain medication or sleeping medication within the last 4 hours Bedside commodes are available if you have difficulty getting to the bathroom or have trouble controlling your bladder If you feel weak or dizzy and think you are going to pass out, ease yourself down to a sitting position until help arrives Hospital Safety At Caldwell County Hospital, patient safety is a top priority. Caldwell County Hospital is dedicated to providing a safe environment and wants its patients and their significant others to be safe on the road to recovery Fire Safety - This hospital is a non-smoking facility. Smoking is not allowed in the patient's rooms or anywhere in the facility. In addition, matches, candles, lighters or other sources of open flames are not allowed in the hospital. If a patient brings personal care items such as hair dryers or curling irons from home, these items must be inspected before they can be used. Electrical Safety - Patients should ask for assistance in plugging and unplugging electrical items in the rooms. Do not use electrical items in or around water. If spilled liquids are near any electrical item in the hospital, the item should not be touched until the spill is cleaned. Medical Equipment Safety - Hospitals utilize highly technical medical equipment to provide care to patients. It is not uncommon for patients to have IV pumps, cardiac monitors, vital sign monitoring equipment and other medical equipment utilized during their hospital stay. Do not tamper with, attempt to adjust or remove any of this equipment without calling for assistance first. Medication Safety - During a patient's hospitalization, the physician or health care provider will order the medications they want the patient to have. Patients should not take or use ANY medications (prescription or non-prescription) while in the hospital without their health care provider's knowledge. To assure patient safety, staff will ask about allergies and other medications taken at home. It is important that staff knows ALL the medication that patients are on to avoid problems with interactions. When a patient is discharged, he/she will be given information concerning the medication that he/she should take at home. Patients should not alter dosages or frequencies or resume taking any medications other than those listed without talking to their health care provider first. When hospitalized, patients are encouraged to SPEAK UP! Patients should ask questions about the medications they are receiving. General Patient Safety - EVERYONE has a role in making healthcare safe - physicians, nurses, technicians, and the patient. Bedrail Safety - Hospital bedrails are there for safety and to assist the patient in moving about in bed as well as getting into and out of bed. Patients should not attempt to crawl through, over or around bedrails. Ambulating Safety - Patients should wear appropriate non-skid shoes when ambulating. The use of shoes will improve traction and lessen the chance of a fall while decreasing the chance of a patient sustaining a foot injury while walking barefoot. Moving about in the Room - Patients should not hesitate to use the "Nurse Call" button for assistance. If a patient feels weak or faint, he/she should not get out of bed or move from the chair to bed without assistance. Caldwell County Hospital's beds have an automatic night-light to assist with movement at night. Fall Prevention - At Caldwell County Hospital, our goal is to make the hospital stay as safe and pleasant as possible. To meet this goal, we have developed a fall prevention program that includes identification of patients at risk for falls and steps to prevent falls. Patients who have certain illnesses, physical limitations, weaknesses or other medical conditions that increase the risk of falls will be identified by the placement of a green dot on the wristband. This alerts everyone involved in a patient's care throughout the hospital that he/she is at increased risk to fall. We need everyone's help to safeguard against falls. Please follow these guidelines: Ask the nurse or other staff members if a patient can be out of bed or up to the bathroom alone and follow their instructions. Ask for help before the patient gets out of bed if he/she complains of being dizzy, weak or if he/she needs help managing IV poles or other equipment. Tell the doctor or nursing satff if the patient has a history of falls. The patient should wear non-skid slippers when getting out of bed - nursing staff can provide these if needed. Keep the area round the bed free of clutter and keep items off the floor. Use the call bell in the bathroom if the patient needs assistance getting back to bed. Report any spills or bathroom mishaps so they may be cleaned promptly. Caldwell County Hospital staff is here to help in all aspects of care. Please ask questions if you have them. Asking questions and speaking up makes patient care safer for everyone. Infection Control Precautions Visitors and family members are at risk for exposure to microorganisms when they visit healthcare facilities. The following guidelines are to be followed by all visitors to minimize the risk of disease transmission: Check with the nurse before entering the room of any patient with transmission-based precautions noted on the door Avoid handling patient care equipment unless trained to do so. Avoid handling of body secretions unless directly involved in the patient's care and trained to do so Do not eat or drink from the patient's tray Avoid visiting the hospital when sixk with a communicable disease and especially during times of high levels of community illness Practice good handwashing. Visitors should wash their hands after assisting any patient care activity, after using the restroom, and before eating Visitors are not permitted in the Operating Room, Recovery Room, Soiled Utility areas or the Kitchen Patient Rights and Responsibilities We consider you a partner in your hospital care. When you are well-informed, participate in treatment decisions, and communicate openly with your doctor and other health professionals, you help make your care as effective as possible. This hospital encourages respect for the personal preferences and values of each individual. Patient Rights While you are a patient in this hospital, your rights include the following: Individuals shall be accorded impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated, regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, or sources of payment for care. You have the right to considerate, respectful care and effective pain management. You have the right to obtain from your physician complete current information concerning your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms you can be reasonably expected to understand. When it is not medically advisable to give such information to you, the information should be made available to an appropriate person in your behalf. You have the right to know, by name, the physician responsible for your care. You have the right to receive from your physician information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment. Except in emergencies, such information for informed consent should include but not necessarily be limited to the specific procedure and/or treatment, the medically significant risks involved, and the probable duration of incapacitation. Where medically significant alternatives for care or treatment exist, or when you request information concerning medical alternatives, you have the right to know the name of the person responsible for the procedures and/or treatment. You have the right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of your action. You have the right to every consideration of your privacy concerning your own medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination, and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly. Those not directly involved in your care must have your permission to be present. You have the right to expect that all communication and records pertaining to your care should be treated as confidential. You have the right to expect that within its capacity a hospital must make reasonable response to tyour request for services. The hospital must provide evaluation, service, and/or referral as indicated by the urgency of the case. When medically permissible, you may be transferred to another facility only after you have received complete information and explanation concerning the needs for and alternatives to such a transfer. The institution to which you are to be transferred must first have accepted you for transfer. You have the right to obtain information as to any relationship of your hospital to other healthcare and educational institutions insofar as your care is concerned. You have the right to obtain information as to the existence of any professional relationships among individuals, by name, who are treating you. You have the right to be advised if the hospital proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation affecting your care or treatment. You have the right to refuse to participate in such research projects. You have the right to expect reasonable continuity of care. You have the right to know in advance what appointment times and physicians are available and where. You have the right to expect that the hospital will provide a mechanism whereby you are informed by his or a delegate of the physician of the patient's continuing healthcare requirements following discharge. You have the right to examine and receive an explanation of your bill regardless of source of payment. You have the right to know what hospital rules and regulations apply to your conduct as a patient. Patient Responsibilities While you are a patient in this hospital, your responsibilities include the following: Provision of Information You have the responsibility to provide, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to your health. You have the responsibility to report perceived risks in your care and unexpected changes in your condition to the responsible practitioner. You are responsible for asking questions when you do not understand what you have been told about your care or what is expected of you. Compliance with Instructions You are responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner primarily responsible for your care. This may include following the instructions of nurses and allied health personnel as they carry out the coordinated plan of care and implement the responsible practitioner's orders, and as they enforce the applicable hospital rules and regulations. You are responsible for keeping appointments and when you are unable to do so for any reason, for notifying the responsible practitioner or the hospital. Refusal of Treatment You are responsible for your actions and any possible outcomes as a consequence of your refusal of treatment, or failure to follow the recommended course of treatment, or of using other treatments. Hospital Charges You are responsible for assuring that the financial obligations of your healthcare are fulfilled as promptly as possible. Hospital Rules and Regulations You are responsible for following hospital rules and regulations. Respect and Consideration You and your family are responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel by not making unnecessary noise, causing distractions, and for assisting in the control of the number of visitors. You and your family are responsible for being respectful of the property of other persons and of the hospital. You and your family are also responsible for obeying the No Smoking Policy of the hospital. Public Information Caldwell County Hospital is accredited by JCAHO and is surveyed every three years on an unannounced basis. If you have any issues concerning safety and quality of care, you may notify JCAHO at: Division of Accreditation Operations Office of Quality Monitoring JCAHO One Renaissance Boulevard Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 or e-mail to complaint@jcaho.org Spiritual Needs of Patients Caldwell County Hospital recognizes that hospital patient's needs and/or the needs of their families may include spiritual needs. It is the policy of the hospital to help patients and their family's spiritual needs through arrangements with appropriate community resources, namely the patient's personal pastor/minister/priest or through the volunteer chaplaincy program provided by the Caldwell County Ministerial Association. The hospital shall at all times respect the reasonable requests of patients regarding spiritual needs and shall take appropriate steps to assure and fulfill such requests through the patient representative, nursing staff or other appropriate personnel. Tobacco-free Policy Effective March 1, 2008, Caldwell County Hospital became a TOBACCO-FREE healthcare campus. Tobacco-Free is defined as the following: 1. Patients, visitors, employees and medical staff are prohibited from using tobacco products anywhere on hospital grounds. 2. ALL outdoor designated smoking areas have been eliminated. 3. This policy does not allow for smoking in vehicles in the parking lot. Our mission is to create healthier communities and a healthy environment for our patients, visitors, and employees. The tobacco-free initiative demonstrates our ongoing commitment to improving the health of our community. Valuables and Personal Items We recommend that you leave money, jewelry, and other valuables at home. If you find it necessary to bring them to the hospital, please tell your nurse immediately so that arrangements may be made for their safekeeping. The hospital is responsible for valuables only if special arrangements have been made. Caldwell County Hospital cannot be responsible for dentures, eyeglasses, hearing aids, or other personal care assistive devices. If you need assistance in maintaining/storing these items, please tell your nurse or the patient care representative.
	Designed and Hosted by mediamarketers.com