Patient Guide

Family members, friends, and guests can help too. • If you are sick, considering visiting when you feel better • Please do not shake hands, touch others or touch equipment • Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough • Cleanyourhandsbeforeenteringandwhen exiting the patient’s room

Fall Prevention Hospitalized patients often fall because of muscle weakness, illness, or medical procedures, medications, or because they have been sitting or lying down for too long. Kern Medical cares about your safety. We need your help to keep you as safe as possible by following these guidelines during your hospital stay: • Do not get out of bed by yourself. Call your nurse for help. Your hospital bed is probably higher and narrower than your bed at home. You can easily fall while trying to get in or out of bed. Please “Call don’t fall” by using your nurse call button and asking for assistance. • Keep often used items within easy reach: call button, tissues, water, eyeglasses, telephone, TV remote. • Do not walk with bare feet. Wear non-skid socks or slippers. Kern Medical provides non-skid socks. • Make sure your robe or pajamas don’t drag on the floor; they can cause you to trip. • Use the handrails in your bathroom and throughout the hospital at all times. • Ask your nurse to show you how to properly walk with your IV pole, drainage bags, or any other equipment. • Be sure your wheelchair is locked when getting in or out of it. Never step on the footrest. • If you see a spill on the floor, report it immediately.

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