Ensuring Your Safety
At St. John’s Rehab Hospital, patient safety is our priority. We would like you to be aware of some steps you can take to help you recover safely.
Your Hospital Stay
- Know your health care professionals. All St. John's Rehab employees wear a photo identification badge while on duty. If you're not sure who someone is, or what their role is, please ask.
- Make sure that you wash and/or sanitize your hands regularly. There is overwhelming evidence that hand washing is the single most important thing that anyone, including your caregiver, can do to prevent the spread of infection. Hand hygiene instructions and stations are conveniently placed throughout the hospital.
- Prior to going home from the hospital, ensure that one of your health care providers reviews your discharge needs and discharge plan with you and/or your family or friends. Knowing what to expect when you return home will help you continue to recover safely.
Preventing Falls
Most falls occur when patients try to get out of bed on their own, and many occur while trying to get to the bathroom. You can prevent falls by:
- Asking for assistance from nursing staff if you have been instructed to (especially at night)
- Keeping your call button near you when in your room
- Reporting any spills or tripping hazards to staff
- Wearing footwear with rubber soles to prevent slipping
- Making sure that you have adequate light to see. If you wear glasses, keep them within reach.
- Working with nursing staff to schedule time to use the bathroom. Some medications may cause you to need to go to the bathroom more often.
- Listening carefully to instructions provided by staff - particularly when you are being assisted to move or walk
Medication Tips
- Recognize your medication. If the medications you are given do not look familiar, speak up and alert your nurse, doctor or pharmacist. Do the same when picking up medication from the pharmacy.
- Make sure that all of your doctors, nurses and pharmacy staff know about every medication you are taking. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and dietary supplements such as vitamins and herbs.
- Allergies and adverse reactions: Make sure your doctors, nurses and pharmacy staff know about any allergies and adverse reactions you have had to medications.
- When your doctor writes you a prescription, make sure you can read it.
- Ask for information about your medicines in terms you can understand - both when your medicines are prescribed and when you receive them.
Other Important Tips
- Make sure you know the members of your health care team. This is particularly important when many people are involved in your rehab care.
- Speak up if you have questions or concerns. You have the right to know about your care. We encourage you to discuss your questions and concerns with any member of your care team.
- If you can, ask a family member or friend to be there with you as your advocate. It is important to have someone who can help get things done and speak up for you if you can't.
Thank you for being our safety partner! St. John's Rehab staff are proud of the high quality and safety-focused care that we deliever to our patients. We acknowledge that while we always try to provide the best care possible, to err is human. We appreciate your partnering with us to make sure you have the positive experience that patients have come to expect from St. John's Rehab Hospital.
For more information, please feel free to contact us.