Post on 22-Apr-2015
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To help mark National Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 4-10), we've compiled some helpful tips to help you and your loved ones to recognize a range of efforts to improve safety and comfort in your homes, particularly upon returning from the hospital.
Health, safety and comfort of all patients is a top priority, especially because home accidents are a major reason for costly return trips to the hospital, most of which can be prevented by the elimination of hazards.
To help with safety education, here are some helpful tips for you to use yourself and to share with loved ones:
• Make sure emergency numbers are posted by each telephone. • Outside doorways and stairs should be well lit; indoor hallways should be equipped with nightlights.
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• Bathtubs, showers, stairs and loose rugs should all have non-skid strips or mats. • Turn pan handles away from the burners and the edges of the stove.
• Store medications in a safe place according to instructions; Dispose of after expiration. • Working smoke detectors should be placed in hallways and near sleeping areas.
In addition to recommending these and other tips, BrightStar Care offers a variety of services intended to help keep patients safe, from performing home safety assessments to transporting patients home from the hospital and caring for them during the days and weeks after their hospital stay.
To reduce negative outcomes, avoid return trips to the hospital and improve patient quality of life, BrightStar Care’s registered nurses also create detailed plans of care to make sure patients are safe, comfortable and educated on the specifics of their condition.
National Patient Safety Awareness Week is an annual education and awareness campaign for health care safety led by the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF).
The event focuses on efforts to reduce medication errors and lower hospital readmission rates by facilitating improved patient care through better communication among providers, patients, families and communities.
“Patient Safety Awareness Week underscores the needs addressed by national discussions on patient safety and emphasizes the value of collective effort and working together for making and keeping our health care system safe,” said Diane C. Pinakiewicz, President of NPSF.
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