A Patient’s Guide for a safe stay in hospital

<![CDATA[Hospital life is mind wrecking for even the more hardy nerved people. Most of the patients are forlorn in the hospitals as the hospital staff is hard pressed with time and the mere surge of patients to give personalized attention to each one of them. A prolonged stay in hospital therefore entails adherence to some checklists that should form basic guide for the patients during their stay in the hospital. Here let us have a look at a few of them

1. Hygiene

Nurses are there of course, to assist the patients in maintaining personal hygiene but there are a few things that the patient can do himself. You must wash your hands every time before you eat anything. You must also tell the caretakers to wash their hands or wear gloves before they handle you or touch your utensils.

Clean your bed more often, you could use alcohol wipes for better results. Get the area around you properly cleaned when the cleaning staff is around. Learn a few hygiene tips yourself before going to the hospital.

2. Be proactive with medical staff

Abandon the old practice of lying in your bed while the hospital staff goes about the things for you. Deal with the doctors in a professional way, sans melodrama and exhibition of emotions. Make the best of opportunity offered by day visits of the doctor. Ask relevant and to the point questions. Better, still write them down.

Be knowledgeable of tests and other medical routines through which you went. Be cooperative and forthcoming in dealing with the medical staff. Try to keep healthy social relationship with your hospital staff. Do not be shy of asking something and learn to be assertive on your fair and genuine demands.

3. Medicines and vaccination

No one is more important for you than yourself. This simply implies that unless you take proper care of your health and are ready to do so, no one else will. Ask for the medicines yourself and be regular in taking them. Do not expect the nurse or the ward attendant to come in and check every now and then on you. Take shots of vaccines. It is critical for you not to develop other infections while in the hospital.

4. Prevent accidents

Many of the accidents in the hospital happen just because you were not cautious enough. The strange and foreign environment of the hospitals sometimes draws the people into a cocoon. They become unwary of their environment. So wear safe and manageable clothes. Wear good rubber soled slippers to avoid any slips. Make sure that the side rails in the bed are in position to prevent a fall while sleeping. Keep the room clutter free to prevent stumbling over the things. Ask for assistance if your conditions does not permit you to turn around and do something.

5. Keep mind healthy

Do not let the monotony and boredom of hospital life to grow on you. You can keep yourself busy with a variety of interesting mind engaging activities. This will keep the mind fresh. After all, wellbeing is a state of mind. Do not let negative thoughts to build up. Think of only the best of times and keep your mind fresh with beautiful memories.

This checklist will definitely help a patient in advancing a speedy recovery and ease tensions or problems caused by their stay in a hospital.]]>