If you thought medical errors were only restricted to hospitals, you are probably
misinformed.
Globally,
as many as 4 in 10 patients are harmed in outpatient settings with up to 80% of
those medical errors preventable, according to a white paper released by
the nonprofit Foundation for the Innovation and Development of Health Safety.
With our
formal health care system becoming increasingly stressed in the recent past,
more patients are being discharged early from the hospital. This results in
many of them failing to receive optimum post-hospitalization care. They become
victims of relapses, which disrupt their treatment cycle and hampers their
entire recovery process. This is where continuum care comes into the picture.
It is continued care of patients after discharge to complete the recovery
process and one of the most integral aspects of effective continuum care is
safe homecare.
So how
are you addressing the safety of your ailing loved ones at home?
Need
help?
Here’s a
list of safety tips for you to keep handy.
- Minimize Falls
Falls or
accidents are very common in patients due to deterioration in health.
This is
how they can be minimized-
- Declutter the surroundings
from unnecessary furniture, wires, etc. which can cause patients to
stumble and fall. - Ensure the furniture used by
the patient isn’t wobbly and unstable. - Remove slippery rugs from
the room. - Use anti-slip rubber mats
and anti-slip bathroom chemical solution in the bathroom around the shower
area and toilet. - Fix grab bars near the
shower area and toilet. - Shower chairs can be used in
the shower for convenience. - Use a raised toilet seat
with armrests to maintain balance while getting on or off the toilet. - An extra-long mirror over
the sink can be used which allows the patient to sit instead of standing
for a very long time. - Use anti-slip stair tape to
prevent falls on the stairs. - Use stairlifts.
- Opt for easy slide walkers.
- Choose a broad base and
sturdy walking stick for supported movement. - Use fiber crutches that are
light and easy to handle. - Ensure the surroundings are
well lit. - Make electrical switches
accessible to the patient. - Battery operated wheelchairs
provide mobility without dependence.
You can
contact Sukino for more
information on the above safety products.
- Make a checklist of the
medicines/injections to be administered and investigations to be conducted
to avoid gaps in the treatment. - Keep emergency numbers e.g.
doctor, ambulance, etc. Handy on the fridge, on a pin-up board, or as a
sticky note on the wardrobe for immediate access. - Ensure someone is attending
to or is around the patient at all times to avoid mishaps. - Get help- Take professional
assistance from certified and experienced homecare nurses and managed
homecare services to ensure a seamless treatment protocol. Also, ensure
that you hire professional help from a reliable homecare service provider
to avoid any untoward incidents like thefts or patients being mistreated. Sukino can help you here. - Opt for a continuum care
facility- Constantly attending to the needs of a patient can be very
overwhelming. Additionally, arranging for individual services can be
expensive and exhausting for the patient to visit different centers. A
continuum care facility is a one-stop shop for all the treatment a patient
needs to recover smoothly at an affordable cost.
We are
India’s 1st and only continuum
care providers with multi-disciplinary post-hospital care.
At the
end of the day, safety is not a gadget but a state of mind. Think safe, keep
safe, and be safe.